Mr Phelan’s family said his mother had never lived to see justice done as she died between the appeal and retrial.
The Court of Appeal had ordered the retrial after it accepted the defence’s submission about a legal issue relating to the previous judge’s summing up.
Mr Phelan was found dead with a large kitchen knife under his body at this home on Kilnside Drive in the Harpurhey area of Manchester on 19 March 2018.
A post-mortem examination found he died of stab wounds.
Jones’ fingerprints were found on the knife and police tracked him to a secure unit at Prestwich Hospital, where he had been sectioned in the weeks after Mr Whelan’s death.
Det Ch Insp Nicola McCulloch, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “This has been a traumatic six years for William’s family, who have not only had to suffer such an inconceivable loss, but also patiently wait for justice.
“They have shown such tremendous bravery and dignity throughout and I hope that the verdict offers them some closure on the worst time of their lives.
“This was a tragic case where a man murdered someone who was supposed to be his friend and left their loves ones with such insufferable consequences.”
