SIDNEY — The Sidney man sentenced to at least 40 years in prison for aggravated murder has filed an appeal in hopes of overturning the court decision.

The action was filed on behalf of Troy Delano McRae Jr., 34, recently in the Third District Court of Appeals of Shelby County. McRae is incarcerated at the Lebanon Correctional Institution of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Through his attorney, Andrew Venters, Assistant Shelby County Public Defender, McRae claims three points of contention for his appeal, according to online court records.

On Sept. 14, McRae was found guilty by a 12-person jury in the stabbing to death Lance Johnson, 38, of Sidney. The murder occurred during a burglary of Johnson’s apartment on North Miami Avenue in March.

On Nov. 7, McRae was sentenced in Shelby County Common Pleas Court. Judge James Stevenson ordered he receive a life sentence with the possibility of parole after he has served 30 years of his sentence. It was also ruled that since McRae was a repeat violent offender, he was to serve a 10-year term prior to the 30-year sentence commencing.

McRae claims his motion to suppress evidence should not have been denied during a Sept. 5 hearing. He contends authorities did not have sufficient cause to suspect him to collect evidence presented during the jury trial. His other points tie into that suppression denial of information that led to his arrest, conviction, and life sentence.

According to Sidney Police, officers were dispatched to the Johnson residence at 3:41 p.m. March 14 to check on his welfare. Johnson was found dead in his apartment with 10 stab wounds.

Officers concluded the assailant was looking for money or drugs. During the trial, it was said that Johnson was known to sell drugs.

On March 22, authorities arrested McRae for Johnson’s death in Lima.