A man was convicted on Thursday of first-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with a Gardner case from 2017.

Matthew J. Vanier, 40, of Gardner was found guilty by a Worcester County Superior Court jury in the death of Randy S. Vaillancourt, 56, of Gardner, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

Vaillancourt was found dead on Dec. 9, 2017, inside his home on Nicholas Street after Gardner police officers went to his home for a well-being check.

Vaillancourt’s death was ruled a homicide and its cause determined to be blunt-force trauma, the district attorney said.

Some of his personal property was also missing from the scene.

Vanier has been in custody since he was initially charged and arraigned in Gardner District Court on Dec. 21, 2017. He was indicted

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