BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- It was a day that shocked not only one man's family, but an entire community.

Almond Upton was traveling from Florida to Connecticut to see family when, during a manic episode, he hit and killed Trooper Christopher Skinner. He would later tell investigators the devil made him do it, and after being arrested, he identified himself as Jesus Christ, leading the defense team to pursue an insanity defense.

"Obviously, there was a lot of bizarre behavior with the defendant, so without a doubt, that's what we had to cope with, so we just put our nose to the grindstone and got it done," said lead prosecutor Ben Bergman.

Upton was diagnosed with manic bipolar disorder in 2011. Throughout the trial, the defense argued that Upton did not have the mental capacity to know or appreciate his actions, thereby justifying the insanity defense.

But during closing arguments, Bergman argued that Upton was well aware of his actions that day. He pointed to the fact that Upton voluntarily came off of his medication and knew the consequences of his actions.

"That was the one thing that was always on my mind was how fair that would be that someone engaged in voluntary behavior which is in their detriment, and of course, is in the detriment of another human being," said Bergman.

During the trial, Bergman called more than a dozen members of local law enforcement to the stand. He credits their testimony for the outcome of this case.

"The state police just did an amazing job, and they put a great case together to start the case, and they helped me all the way to the end, and they pretty much carried me to the finish line, so I'm very happy with them," said Bergman.

Public defender Mike Baker, meanwhile, says while he's disappointed with the verdict, he's pleased with the jury's handling of the case.

"They asked some very important questions and they really, really spent a lot of time considering this case. In this country, that's all you can ask for. It's what makes our system the best anywhere," Baker said.

When defense representatives were asked if they will appeal, they said it was likely. They believe it's best for an outside office to look at the case to make sure there were no mistakes.