A 29-year-old St. Cloud man was convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the December 2019 stabbing death of a man at Red Carpet Nightclub in downtown St. Cloud.

In a verdict filed Friday, a jury found Bryant J. Stephenson guilty on two felony counts of second-degree murder — one with intent but not premeditated and one without intent but while committing a felony.

Stephenson is the third defendant found guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of 29-year-old Unity McGill.

Christopher L. Johnson of St. Cloud was sentenced to 40 years in prison in June; his brother, Lawrence M. Johnson of St. Cloud, was sentenced to more than 34 years in prison in March. Stephenson's sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 9.

According to court documents, the three men assaulted an unidentified man about 1 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2019, inside the nightclub.

Surveillance video shows McGill touching Lawrence Johnson on the shoulder, prompting him to punch McGill and McGill to punch back.

Bouncers removed the three defendants from the bar, but they re-entered a short time later.

Just before 1:30 a.m., the three men attacked McGill on the dance floor. About three minutes after the fight began, McGill can be seen collapsing out the front door.

An autopsy found McGill had blunt-force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds in his chest, abdomen and back. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death was excessive bleeding.

Jenny Berg • 612-673-7299

Twitter: @bergjenny