FAYETTE COUNTY — A 26-year-old St. Peter man was sentenced Wednesday in Fayette County court to 30-years in prison for the second-degree murder of a Ramsey acquaintance in 2017.

A Fayette County jury found Alexander Beccue guilty in June of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Joshua Smith and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years for Smith’s murder and 10 years for the weapons charge. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Second-degree murder is a Class 1 felony that is usually punishable by between 4 and 20 years in prison.

However, in the case of murder a minimum sentence is 20 years in prison. Aggravating factors such as the use of a firearm can increase the sentence.

He had been charged with first-degree murder but the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of second degree murder.

Beccue took the stand to testify at his June jury trial and testified that he feared for his safety that night and that drug induced hallucinations and voices in his head had him convinced that Smith and star prosecution witness Chelsi Beesley were going to harm him.

Beesley said she was in the process of cleaning the kitchen when she turned around, saw Beccue standing with his left arm extended and a gun pointed at Smith. She said Beccue then shot Smith in the left side of the head.