Lansing man found guilty in golf club beating death

MASON — A homeless Lansing man who goes by the nickname “Joker” has been found guilty in the beating death of another homeless man last year.

A jury on Friday found Derek Aaron Rivera, 30, guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the death of 42-year-old Terry Alber. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 21.

The two men got into a fight in May 2014 in the 500 block of North Larch Street, near a makeshift camp where homeless people were known to stay, according to court testimony. Prosecutors allege that Rivera beat Alber with a golf club and stomped on his head because of the relationship Alber had with Rivera’s ex-girlfriend.

Alber’s blood was found on Rivera’s shoes and on a golf club found in the camp, according to court records.

Contact Christopher Behnan at (517) 377-1261 or cbehnan@lsj.com . Follow him on Twitter @LansingCB.

What’s next

Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:15 p.m. Oct. 21 at Ingham County Circuit Court in Mason.