On April 5, a Brevard County jury found Lance Berning (53) guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 2014 killing of Jennifer Hedges (24).

Circuit Judge Charles Crawford presided over the 13-day trial, during which evidence was presented by Assistant State Attorney Samantha Barrett and Assistant State Attorney Christine Babb. Following approximately three hours of deliberation, the jury returned with the guilty verdicts.

Judge Crawford sentenced Berning to life in prison without the possibility of parole on both offenses, which are to be served consecutively.

The convictions are related to the brutal murder of Hedges, whose body was found floating in the Indian River off Riverside Drive in Titusville on October 9, 2014. She had been beaten to death and her body weighed down with concrete.

Investigators discovered that Berning had told a friend he had killed a woman and placed her weighted body in the river.

The subsequent investigation uncovered evidence linking Berning to Hedges’ murder. Despite testifying in his trial and denying any involvement, the jury found him guilty.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Berning admitted to raping, beating, and strangling Hedges on October 8, 2014, after hiring her for sex. Berning allegedly told a witness at a bar that Hedges “deserved it” because she was a prostitute. Hedges pleaded for her life during the struggle, mentioning her 5-year-old son and promising not to tell anyone.

Deputies reported that Berning admitted to tying Hedges’ body to concrete blocks and using bleach to hide evidence of the murder on her body and in his van. A canoeist found Hedges’ body the following day.

Chillingly, Berning allegedly stated he planned to kill again in six months, saying he would “get better at disposing a body next time” and that he wanted to keep killing because “a man has to have a hobby” and he “really got off on it.”

Deputies also noted that Berning’s white 2000 Chevrolet van matched witness descriptions of a van spotted near the scene where Hedges’ body was discovered.

Prosecutor Samantha Barrett expressed gratitude to the jury for their hard work and thoughtful deliberations, stating that they delivered justice on behalf of Jennifer Hedges and her family. She added, “Today he [Berning] learned that Jennifer does matter, and that’s the reason he’ll spend every remaining day of his life in prison.”