LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court’s decision to keep a man serving a life sentence behind bars.

James Branch had filed a motion for post-conviction relief seeking to be released from prison. Prosecutors say he and two other men beat James Clark, tied wire around Clark’s neck and dumped him into the trunk of his car at his auto business after robbing him.

Branch has maintained that while he used a credit card stolen from Clark, he knew nothing about the robbery and assault.

In 2013, the state Supreme Court ordered a Douglas County District Court to grant Branch a hearing on his motion, in which he said his lawyer was ineffective.

The lower court did and then denied Branch’s motion, which the Supreme Court upheld Friday.