Share and speak up for justice, law & order... SANFORD, Fla. — A dental hygienist accused of killing a U.S. Navy recruit nearly 40 years ago has been found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for the crime, according to reports. Thomas Garner, 61, was convicted by a 12-member jury Thursday at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, about 25 miles northeast of Orlando. Garner was on trial for fatally beating and strangling Navy recruit Pamela Cahanes in 1984 before dumping her body in an overgrown field. “Pamela Cahanes enlisted in the Navy to fight for her county. Instead she had to fight Thomas Garner for more than [eight] minutes, only to lose her life.” Assistant State Attorney Anna Valentini said in a statement, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “We’re grateful we were able to win this fight for Pamela and her family. I hope they can rest easier knowing that tomorrow, and every day after, Thomas Garner is going to wake up in a jail cell knowing exactly why he’s there.”