BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota's Supreme Court has affirmed the murder conviction of a handyman who was hired to kill a Fargo dentist.

The court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that jurors had enough evidence to find Michael Nakvinda guilty of killing dentist Philip Gattuso.

Supreme Court Justice Dale Sandstrom says evidence shows Nakvinda was near his victim's home around the time the killing happened in October 2009.

Gattuso was beaten to death with a hammer. Nakvinda is serving life in prison without a chance at parole.

Gattuso's father-in-law, Gene Kirkpatrick, was convicted in a separate case of hiring Nakvinda to do the killing.

Kirkpatrick is appealing the jury's verdict.

According to testimony at Kirkpatrick's trial, he wasn't happy with how Gattuso was raising his granddaughter.