B.C. jury finds Ibrahim Ali guilty of first-degree murder in 2017 teen slaying

globalnews.ca:

A B.C. jury has found the man accused of killing a young teen girl in a Burnaby park six years ago guilty of first-degree murder.Ibrahim Ali had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the July 2017 killing.

The victim’s identity is protected by a publication ban.The 12-member jury returned the verdict at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Friday less than 24 hours after deliberations began, concluding a nine-month trial that was fraught with delays and twists.The jury had returned to the court earlier Friday looking for a clarification on the differences between manslaughter and first- and second-degree murder.

Minutes after receiving a detailed answer to their question from Justice Lance Bernard late Friday, the jury reached a verdict.Bernard had told the jury on Thursday that they could acquit Ali if they felt Crown hadn’t proven his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, or alternately, find him guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter.There was no loud explosion of emotion when the verdict was delivered, but tension was palpable in the packed courtroom and extra sheriffs were brought in.The victim’s father could be seen breathing heavily in the front row of the gallery with her brother and other family members — just a few feet behind Ali.First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The court has yet to set a date for a sentencing hearing.The trial, which was initially expected to last three months, began on April 5.The victim had been found partially clothed in a wooded area of Burnaby’s Central Park shortly after midnight on July 19, 2017, just hours after her family reported her missing.The jury heard from more than 40 witnesses, along