CANTON — Christopher Hebert ripped the life from Lacey Yekel in 2014 and ripped her from her family, and for that he was found guilty, St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua said Thursday afternoon following six-and-a-half hours of jury deliberations.

Hebert, 46, formerly of Massena and now an inmate at the St. Lawrence County jail, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the June 7, 2014, death of the 24-year-old Yekel, who was last seen by her mother, Bonnie Sue Lamay, on June 4, 2014.

Yekel had not been reported missing prior to the Aug. 29, 2014, discovery of her remains, two days after what would have been her 25th birthday. Her body was found partially wrapped in a wooded area across the road from the NYSARC bottle redemption center in the Massena Industrial Park, just off Route 420.

Hebert stood without expression. He had taken the stand to testify in his own defense Wednesday, telling the jury that he had lied when he told his dealers and friends of 20-plus years, Jason Smith and Justin Lashomb, that he killed Yekel. He told the court she overdosed and that he lied about killing her to sound “gangsta.”