The man who murdered off-duty corrections officer Sgt. Richard Dever outside a Charlestown bar in 2005 will not receive a new trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

Francis X. Lang, 41, was convicted for killing Dever, 35, after Lang created a disturbance inside Sullivan's Bar in March 2005. Lang later appealed, arguing self-defense and that his lawyer failed to pursue an insanity defense.

"This was first-degree murder - nothing less," Conley said. "The defendant received a fair trial with the benefit of experienced counsel and there was no legal or factual basis to disturb the jury's verdict."

"We were extremely relieved to hear that this defendant's conviction was affirmed," Dever's family said in a statement. "The SJC made the right decision. We just want to say thank you for all the support that we have received in honor of our son, Ricky Dever. We would like to extend our gratitude to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, and to all the friends and strangers alike who supported us through our family's ordeal."

Dever was among the patrons and employees who attempted to remove Lang from the establishment after he caused a disturbance and threw a beer can at several people inside. Once outside, the evidence showed, Lang fatally stabbed Dever four times in the chest and slashed his face.