A Georgia man accused of murdering his girlfriend on Navarre Beach over Labor Day weekend in 2007 was sentenced to life without parole on Feb. 9.

William Hugh Grindle Jr., 43, of Newnan, Ga., entered a guilty plea last week, which saved him from the death penalty had a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
The family had been consulted before a plea agreement was sought, said Escambia County Assistant State Attorney John Molchan.

For more on this story, see the Feb. 12 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.