A jury found Jeremey Sickenberger guilty of third-degree murder after about two hours of deliberation Wednesday, ending the Muddy Creek Township man’s two-day trial on a single charge of criminal homicide.

The foreman of the jury — made up of six men and six women — read the verdict aloud at about 2:30 p.m., to a courtroom filled with friends and family of Sickenberger and Thomas “T.J.” Stockman, who died April 17, 2014, after Sickenberger shot him in the side of the chest with a .22-caliber rifle in the living room of his mobile home on Robbie Way.

Sickenberger’s account of the events leading up to Stockman’s death has changed multiple times, but a state police investigation determined that the pair were “horsing around” while watching a movie that night. Sickenberger retrieved a .22-caliber rifle from his room, came back to the living room, put the barrel of the gun to the side of Stockman’s chest and pulled the trigger.

Sickenberger has claimed that the shooting was accidental, that he did not know the gun was loaded, and that he cannot remember if he pulled the trigger.

On Wednesday the foreman first announced that Sickenberger had been found not guilty of first degree murder, bringing sighs of relief from his friends and family. The next announcement — that Sickenberger had been found guilty of third degree murder — brought several members of the family to tears.

Sickenberger himself, seated next to his defense attorneys, appeared stunned and shaken as Butler County Court Judge William R. Shaffer polled individual members of the jury to confirm the verdict. Sickenberger’s sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 20.

Members of Stockman’s family, some of whom appeared in court wearing T-shirts memorializing his life, appeared satisfied with the verdict as they embraced following the announcement.

Stockman’s mother, Natalie, described the trial as “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” and said she was overwhelmed by reliving the events leading up to her son’s death.

“This outcome doesn’t bring my son back,” she said. “And I feel for his (Sickenberger’s) family too. It’s a tragedy for all of us. I don’t know that it will ever get better.”

Sickenberger’s friends and family declined to comment following the verdict.

Attorneys on both sides of the case said they were not surprised by the verdict or the length of time it took jurors to come to a consensus.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, who gave a fiery closing argument Wednesday morning describing Sickenberger as calculating and mostly concerned with avoiding responsibility for Stockman’s death, said the result was “sort of what we (prosecutors) expected.”

Goldinger said his office hadn’t yet discussed what sentence to seek. He said Sickenberger faces 20 to 40 years in prison on the third degree murder conviction.

Defense attorney Joseph Smith vowed to appeal the verdict, and said lawyers would explore “any and all other options,” going forward. But said those steps could not be taken until Sickenberger has been sentenced.

“Obviously there’s going to be appeals,” Smith said. “But we have to proceed with this on a step-by-step basis.”

Prosecutors had asked jurors to consider convictions on three different possible types of homicide: first degree murder, third degree murder, and involuntary manslaughter.