WATERLOO - A Black Hawk County jury has found Gene Earl Campbell guilty of first-degree murder in the 2007 death of Jim Hendrix.

The jury started deliberations Friday morning after about two weeks of trial. They indicated they had reached a conclusion at about 2:26.

Prosecutors said Campbell, 33, beat and strangled Hendrix, 60, to death in Hendrix's apartment Nov. 30, 2007, possibly as part of a robbery.

A friend found Hendrix dead when he went to visit three days later.

Campbell told police investigators he was at Hendrix's apartment Nov. 30 to smoke crack cocaine but denied killing Hendrix.

Evidence against Campbell included a surveillance tape that showed he was the only person to enter the apartment between 9:40 p.m. Nov. 30 and 6 a.m. Dec. 3.

The defense noted there was a nine-hour gap in the video between when the camera quit recording and two hours before the body was found.

Prosecutors and the defense sparred over whether a spot on Campbell's shoe was Hendrix's blood.

Known as Sugar Bear, Hendrix had limited use of his right side because of a stroke and walked with a cane. He had worked at Goodwill.

Sentencing will be at a later date, and first-degree murder carries a mandatory life prison sentence.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.