Former UA Student Sentenced to Life for Professor's Premeditated Murder

Murad Dervish, a former University of Arizona graduate student, has been sentenced to life in prison for the premeditated murder of Professor Thomas Meixner. Dervish was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, burglary, and endangerment, among other charges. The defense argued that Dervish was psychotic and unable to distinguish right from wrong, but prosecutors presented evidence of premeditation, including threatening emails and the purchase of a gun used in the crime. Dervish had been expelled from the university and barred from campus due to previous threats. He shot Meixner 11 times in the Harshbarger Building on October 5, 2022, and was arrested hours later after a police pursuit. The sentencing follows a jury's unanimous guilty verdict on May 21, 2024.