A cold-blooded killer who hid out at a Fort 91原创 home in January 2008, will be spared the death penalty because of a cross-border extradition deal that made the U.S. promise to spare his life from lethal injection.

On March 15, a jury in Sacramento, California took less than three hours to find fugitive Arthur Carnes, 40, guilty of first degree murder in the dismembering death of Matthew Alan Seybert, 41.

Carnes was the live-in caretaker at the man鈥檚 home in a Sacramento suburb, when he murdered Seybert, decapitating him and cutting off his limbs, while documenting it all on a digital camera, before throwing the body into a swamp.

Carnes stole the victim鈥檚 car and emptied his bank account.

He was tracked to Fort 91原创 because he used the victim鈥檚 debit card here.

Normally, such a conviction would carry the death penalty in California but because Carnes was arrested in Fort 91原创 and claimed refugee status here, Canada would only release him back to the U.S. on a promise he wouldn鈥檛 be executed. Carnes will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

After committing murder, Carnes, a self-professed survivalist, drove the victim鈥檚 car as far as Washington State where he abandoned it and crossed into Canada on foot, illegally.

He had befriended a Fort 91原创 man on a 鈥渟urvivalist鈥� website that both the local man and Carnes frequented, the courts heard.

The man took in Carnes without knowing he was wanted for murder in the States.

91原创 RCMP said the Fort man fully co-operated with police.

At the time of Carnes arrest, neighbours in the quiet village were told by police to stay inside, and away from windows, while a heavily armed team of police took down Carnes.

He attempted to flee and was arrested in a backyard of a home on Trattle Street.

Police discovered that Carnes had been staying in a shed on the property and they found meth making chemicals inside, as well as a rifle and other survival type weapons.

Quickly Carnes claimed refugee status, saying he would be executed if returned back to California. After staying in Canada for months, the Canadian government rejected his refugee claim but did make the US guarantee he wouldn鈥檛 face the death penalty if returned.

The jury heard that Carnes posted a 400-page manifesto of 鈥渘atural born killers鈥� like himself, detailing ways to kill someone including the options he chose to kill Seybert.

In the trial, Carnes represented himself and strangely called to witness an expert to say he had extensive knowledge of weaponary and other avenues to commit murder.

Carnes will be sentenced in April but it鈥檚 unlikely the non-execution agreement would be lifted.