Justin Drinkard of Southport gets life in prison for killing man with a bat in 2018

PANAMA CITY — A Southport man will spend the rest of his life in prison for beating another man to death with a baseball bat.

According to a news release from the State Attorney's Office of the 14th Judicial Circuit, Justin Drinkard, 38, of Southport was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the 2018 killing of Jerry Benefield, a 20-year-old Lynn Haven resident.

"This was a vicious, senseless case, and the defendant was on probation at the time," prosecutor Peter Overstreet said in the release. "He's been placed on probation over and over for drug charges, and he can't hack it, and now while he's on probation, he commits this murder.

"There's nothing more this court can do to protect this community except to sentence him to the rest of his life in prison."

According to evidence at the trial, Drinkard showed up unannounced to Benefield's home in November 2018, trying to buy methamphetamine.

More from the case:Justin Drinkard, 38, of Southport found guilty of beating local man to death with bat

"After using meth with (Benefield) and his girlfriend, testimony showed (Drinkard) refused to leave and instead followed the girl into a bathroom and shut the door," the release reads. "The girl screamed for help. (Benefield) got the door open and became engaged in a struggle with Drinkard, who grabbed a baseball bat and beat the victim in the head, even after he lay unconscious."

In the release, State Attorney Larry Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff's Office for its work in the case, which happened a month after Category 5 Hurricane Michael, while Bay County was still in a state of emergency.