AUBURN — A man accused of slashing the throat of a friend at the Auburn Mall in 1995 has been convicted of manslaughter.

Thomas “Tony” Garrett, 27, had been convicted of murder in May 1996, but the Maine Supreme Judicial Court later threw out the conviction, ruling that a trial judge improperly excluded defense evidence.

On Thursday, an Androscoggin County jury returned the manslaughter verdict after deliberating for 3 1/2 hours.

Garrett was charged in connection with the slaying of 26-year-old Robert Riley on Nov. 25, 1995, during an argument.

Authorities said Garrett and Riley had moved to the Lewiston area from Pennsylvania about six months before the stabbing.

Sentencing is slated for Sept. 15.