Oklahoma Appeals Court OKs Life Sentence In Tulsa Beating Death

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the life prison sentence of a man convicted of beating his roommate to death with a baseball bat.

The court handed down the decision Wednesday to 32-year-old Joel Robert Giefer, who was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury in Tulsa County in the December 1, 2014, beating death of 31-year-old Ted Kissel.

3/11/2016 Related Story: Life Sentence Handed Down To Tulsa Man Who Murdered Roommate

Police discovered the victim's body after responding to reports that a man had been threatening his roommate over rent money at the residence Kissel shared with Giefer.

Police found a pool of blood near a baseball bat next to an open bedroom door. Authorities say Kissel's body was found beneath a mattress in the bedroom.

Investigators say before Kissel's death, Giefer told a friend he was going to kill the man and get rid of the body.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.