The man charged with the murder of a University of Arizona professor in Tucson was on Monday sentenced to life in prison.

Murad Dervish, 48, was found guilty of first-degree murder after he shot Thomas Meixner, the head of the university’s Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, on Oct. 5, 2022.

On May 21, a jury also found him guilty of a slew of other charges, including one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of burglary and three counts of endangerment.

Dervish was a graduate student who was eventually expelled and prohibited from being on campus. He was accused of threatening Meixner and other faculty and university staff for more than a year.

Dervish’s attorney wanted his client to be found guilty except insane, telling the jury Dervish did not know right from wrong and was psychotic, paranoid and delusional.

The prosecutor from the Pima County Attorney’s Office argued the murder was premeditated and showed threatening emails and evidence that Dervish planned to kill Meixner in the weeks and months before the shooting.

Dervish threatened, harassed staff before the shooting

The prosecutor said on the day of the shooting, Dervish entered the Harshbarger Building at UA shortly before 2 p.m. He chased Meixner down a hallway in the building and into a classroom. Dervish emptied his magazine, in total shooting Meixner 11 times.

After the shooting, Dervish fled the building, police said. According to the complaint, police found Dervish driving on Highway 85 toward Mexico 30 miles south of Gila Bend three hours later.

Documents say Dervish refused to stop, leading police on a chase for two to three miles until his car was successfully stopped.

Dervish’s threatening behavior was well-known among members of the department and law enforcement before the shooting occurred.

In the year before the shooting, Dervish reportedly harassed and made threats to staff members working at Harshbarger Building. Some of the threats were antisemitic in which Dervish wished death to all Jews and accused Meixner of orchestrating a Jewish-led conspiracy against him.

Before his expulsion from the university, Dervish had been prohibited from stepping foot on university property. Pictures of Dervish were distributed throughout the department with instructions on how and when to call police. Additionally, entry passwords for rooms Dervish previously had access were changed.

University police, according to a letter by former university President Robbert Robbins, went to the county attorney’s office twice to net charges against Dervish. The county attorney declined to press charges because of a lack of evidence.

In the months following the shooting, a faculty report found the university knew about the threats and failed to implement an effective risk management system to keep people on campus safe.

Another report, compiled by a consultant hired by the university, offered 33 recommendations for improving security. Since then, the university has implemented numerous safety changes and updated safety communications.

In January, Meixner’s family settled a lawsuit against the university for $2.5 million for failing to protect Meixner.

Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic’s coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Murad Dervish: Sentenced to life in prison after murdering UA professor