A jury Wednesday found a man accused of killing his nephew guilty of murder in the second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia following a seven-day trial.

On the evening of Oct. 17, 2023, Loveland Police officers responded to an apartment after receiving reports of a shooting.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Justin Boothe had been shot and dead.

The suspect, Kenneth Piper, was charged with murder in the first degree, which also included a charge of murder in the second degree.

Prosecutors Matthew Pring and Michael Mangione showed evidence to the court that Piper had fired two shots and the victim had posed no threat to Piper.

The defense argued that the shots fired were an act of self-defense against an intruder.

Ultimately, the jury found Piper guilty and did not believe either self-defense or defense of an intruder was applicable, according to the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Piper will be sentenced on Oct. 29.

Piper could face up to 48 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for murder in the second degree, and a fine of $100 for a drug petty offense.

“I am incredibly proud of our trial team for fighting for Justin and his family,” said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin. “Several elements of this case created complications that they had to navigate to present the jury a clear picture of the crime that occurred. They worked incredibly hard to hold Mr. Piper accountable, and this is a great result for justice and for his family.”