Man guilty of Melbourne murder

A Melbourne man awaits sentencing after being found guilty of murdering his drug dealing mate.

James Russouw, 24, was found dead in March 2008, a knife protruding from his neck and his body set alight inside his Jeep at a suburban Burwood East sports ground.

A Supreme Court jury on Friday found Christopher John Lavery, 31, guilty of the murder, rejecting claims he did "absolutely not" kill Mr Russouw.

Lavery insists that at the time of the murder he was watching a Rambo film at a shopping centre cinema but a witness who initially substantiated the alibi changed his story in March.

Defence lawyers say the witness was motivated by a $1 million reward being offered for information leading to a conviction in the case.

The man told the four-week trial Lavery also confessed to the murder but that he was sworn to secrecy after the killer made verbal threats toward his family.

Lavery will return to court at a future date for a plea hearing ahead of sentencing.