BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A Michigan man got life in prison Friday for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend in Berkeley County. Edward Mark Fabian Hannah was convicted and given a life sentence for murder and burglary in the first degree. He was also sentenced to 10 years for assault and battery by Judge Thomas W. Cooper Jr. Hannah was convicted for the murder of Birthener “Joy” Joseph, 58, of Summerville after an incident in September 2021. In June 2021, Joseph moved back to South Carolina to live with her daughter after ending her relationship with Hannah, according to the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. He flew from Michigan to Joseph’s home in South Carolina on September 2. Joseph called law enforcement when Hannah showed up, and he left the property but stayed nearby. On September 5, he broke into Joseph’s home at 3 a.m. Once inside, he tried to assault Joseph’s 12-year-old granddaughter and was confronted by her 13-year-old grandson. He then found Joseph and “inflicted blunt force trauma on her” and stabbed her with scissors, the solicitor’s office said. Both the children escaped the home during the assault with their 11-month-old niece and rushed to a neighbor’s house, calling 911. Berkeley County deputies arrived minutes later, but Hannah had fled. Not long afterward, he was spotted on a nearby Ring camera. Deputy Devonte Rumph apprehended Hannah on foot, and the children identified their attacker. Joseph was taken to Trident Medical Center and treated for life-threatening injuries. While she initially survived, she suffered permanent brain damage and died from her injuries on April 28, 2022. “The murder was a culmination of abuse by Hannah, who was enraged that the victim had broken off the relationship and had stopped taking his calls. Evidence presented at trial showed a pattern of stalking and harassing behavior to the victim and her family,” state prosecutors explained. Assistant Solicitor Julie Rochester praised Joseph’s grandchildren, who were involved in the attack that night. “The quick thinking and bravery of the children in this home not only saved their lives that night, but their testimony in court helped convict their grandmother’s murderer,” Rochester said. Hannah had previously been convicted of aggravated assault, robbery with use of a deadly weapon, rape by force, assault with a deadly weapon, larceny, assault, resisting a police officer, and breaking and entering.