Suspect Gets Prison Time in USC Murder Case

Travion Terrett Ford, 25, was sentenced Thursday to prison for 2nd degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a USC student in September of last year. Bryan Richard Frost, 23, was walking with two other students early morning on the September 18th near 28th Street and Orchard Avenue when Ford apparently approached and an argument turned fight. Frost was killed by his stabbing wounds.

Ford's lawyer has filed an appeal, the LA Times noted, for this reason:

Ford's public defender, Diane Butko, argued during the trial that he was fighting for his life against an aggressive and drunken college student.

Butko said Thursday that she had filed an appeal in the case, partly based on her contention that the trial judge had excluded important evidence about Frost's history of drinking. Frost's family denies that he had a drinking problem.

Ford's sentence is for 16 years to life in prison.