It is possible McCowan could receive life in prison. Given McCowan’s lack of prior offenses, his attorney, Chris Bergstrom, said he plans to ask the judge for the lightest sentence possible.

“We’re gonna go in and do our best to explain to the judge why he should bring it down and deviate from guidelines,” Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom said McCowan is doing “as well as could be expected” and is “disappointed” about his conviction. He said McCowan’s family intends to appeal his case.

Earlier in the morning of Feb. 23, McCowan received a text message from his sister Shay McCowan — Singler’s girlfriend — citing Singler for injuries to her back and ribs. When Connor McCowan began texting Singler, the night took a turn for the worse, leading to McCowan showing up at Singler’s apartment in Meridian Township.

After an intoxicated Singler punched Connor McCowan once, the two began to struggle, Singler’s roommate Tyler Aho testified in the trial last month. Singler was left with two stab wounds in his heart and arm from Connor McCowan’s flip blade, which police later recovered on the side of the road nearby.

Throughout his trial, the text messages exchanged between Connor McCowan and Singler that night were used by the prosecution to prove Connor McCowan’s intent to inflict harm upon his friend.

Although he did not want to speculate on potential sentences Connor McCowan will face, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said in a previous interview the Singler family felt justice was served with the verdict. He said Aho’s testimony, combined with the text messages, ultimately led the jury to second-degree murder.

“The jury had an opportunity to see (Aho), look at him, judge his credibility, look at the defendant, (and) do the same,” Dunnings said.

During her testimony, Shay McCowan said her brother and boyfriend became close. The two had never become violent with one another previously.

Connor McCowan will be sentenced before Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday