ELBERTA, Ala. — A Baldwin County judge has sentenced James Christopher Adams to 1,020 months in prison for the Aug. 19, 2008, stabbing death of his mother, Pamela Ellison.

Adams, who was 42 at the time of the stabbing, pled guilty to murder on Jan. 7, 2010. Circuit Court Judge Langford Floyd sentenced Adams on Monday with members of Ellison’s family in attendance at the sentence hearing.

“Justice has been served today and now the family can mourn the loss of their loved one,” Baldwin County District Attorney Judy Newcomb said in a news release issued the same day as the sentencing.

“This sentence will keep Mr. Adams incarcerated for the rest of his natural life and ensures that he will never again threaten the safety of the citizens of Baldwin County.”

Ellison’s body was found by family members in her garage at 25177 Old Foley Road in Elberta. She was 60 at the time of her death.

Adams, who had recently been released from prison after serving a four-year sentence for burglary and robbery, stole his mother’s 2004 Chevrolet Silverado as he left the scene. Authorities considered him armed and dangerous.

Adams was apprehended the day after Ellison’s death at a restaurant in Pensacola. Officers spotted him walking down the street. U.S. Marshals extradited him from Florida back to Baldwin County, and he was booked into the Baldwin County Corrections Center on Aug. 22, 2008.

The Corrections Center Web site lists a Clanton, Ala., address for Adams.