A man from the Vancouver area has been found guilty of second-degree murder more than four years after his pregnant wife was found dead in a Lower Mainland waterway.
On Friday just before midday, the B.C. Supreme Court also found Mukhtiar Panghali guilty of tampering with a dead body.
Panghal's wife, Manjit Panghali, was several months into her pregnancy when she died.
When the verdict was delivered Friday, several of the victim's family members in the court began weeping.
A key piece of evidence in the case was that Mukhtiar used his wife's cellphone after her disappearance.
Court also heard evidence that security cameras captured Mukhtiar, who was an elementary teacher at the time, buying a lighter on the night that his wife vanished. He had told police that he was at home all evening.
A pathologist in the trial testified that the victim was most likely strangled and then burned before being dumped in the water near Delta, B.C.
Outside the courtroom, Manjit's sister said her family is trying to move on, CTV British Columbia reported.
"She died a brutal and senseless death at the hands of a sick and twisted and evil monster. We are comfortable with the judge's decision and feel this terrible tragedy has finally been dealt with appropriately," sister Jasmine Bhambra said.
During the trial, the court was told that Mukhtiar behaved strangely and had been inconsistent with police.
Prosecutors said that Mukhtiar attempted to feign concern about his wife's disappearance while attempting to cover up his crime. The court was told that he inundated police with calls about possible suspects, including the victim's brother.
