Hendersonville man sentenced to life for killing his grandmother

A Hendersonville, North Carolina man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of killing his grandmother in 2022.

The Henderson County District Attorney's Office says 24 year old, Austin Amos Byrnside has been found guilty of murder, burglary and conspiracy in connection his grandmother, Paulette Clark's death.

Clark who owned a diner in Hendersonville was shot with a BB gun and was hit with a blunt object, she died five days after the incident. Court records say an attacker broke into the home while Clark was sleeping.

A witness testified that the suspect admitted to shooting someone with a BB gun and had cuts on his hands from using brass knuckles. Investigators say Byrnside confessed but said he intended to rob his grandmother's husband, Martin Clark.

The suspect's uncle has also been charged and has pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact. Byrnside has been sentenced to life without parole.