A Town of Ulster man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2021 killing his childhood friend.

Gregory Thayer was convicted of killing Bruce Sweirc. Sweirc was living in California with his family and returned home to Rhinebec to visit his mother.

Prosecutors say Thayer shot him in the head, then called his sister and took pictures of Sweirc with his phone.

Thayer was found guilty of murder, but his charge was reduced to manslaughter after the judge found he suffered extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the killing.