CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court is upholding the sentence of life without parole for a man convicted of a 2009 home-invasion killing of a Sheridan.

Dennis Poitra, Jr., was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary in the death of Robert Ernst.

Two others convicted as teenagers in Ernst's murder were initially sentenced to life in prison but will eventually become eligible for parole because the U.S. Supreme Court has since barred mandatory life sentences for juvenile killers. Poitra was 18 at the time of the killing and wasn't covered by that ruling.

District Judge John Fenn of Sheridan earlier denied Poitra's request to be treated the same as the other defendants. Wednesday's ruling the Wyoming Supreme Court upholds Fenn's decision.

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