After being found guilty of first-degree murder in December, Ibrahim Ali has now been sentenced for the crime.
In a decision on Friday, Ali was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, according to the BC Prosecution Service. He will also get credit for time served.
In December, a jury delivered the guilty verdict after less than 24 hours of deliberation.
A publication ban protects the victim’s name, but the death of the teenager sparked heartbreak and outrage across the region.
She was found dead in Burnaby’s Central Park on the morning of July 19, 2017. At the time of her death, RCMP said the incident was a “random attack.”
By July 2018, the IHIT had received over 200 tips from the general public and had spoken to nearly 1,300 residents in the area. In September 2018, Ali was charged with murder. He was arrested without incident on September 7 in Burnaby.
During a trial last year, Ali pleaded not guilty.
“IHIT and our many partners worked tirelessly for over a year to find answers and to bring justice for the random killing of 13-year-old [name removed],” said IHIT’s Donna Richardson at the time.
IHIT also offered a statement after the sentencing.
“This was a complex investigation that had a profound effect on the entire province,” said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, Officer-in-Charge of IHIT, in a statement.
“It’s a result of the unwavering dedication of the investigative team, supported by all of IHIT and the BC RCMP, whose relentless pursuit of the evidence led them to using cutting-edge forensic technology, which brought us to today’s successful conclusion.”
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With files from Megan Devlin