Boyfriend convicted 10 years after Zhao murder

Chinese student Amanda Zhao was found murdered in Stave Lake, B.C. in 2002. (CTV)

The former boyfriend of Chinese student Amanda Zhao has been convicted of strangling her to death in Burnaby, B.C. 10 years ago.

A Beijing court found Li Ang guilty in the slaying Thursday and sentenced him to life in prison, though reports suggest he plans to appeal the verdict.

Li was living with Zhao in October 2002 when her body was found stuffed into a suitcase at Stave Lake. He was quickly identified as a suspect but managed to flee to China two days after the discovery, spurring a lengthy effort by Mounties to have him extradited back to Canada.

They were unsuccessful, but Chinese authorities used RCMP evidence to arrest and charge Li locally in 2009. He was picked up after living with his parents for years in a military compound.

Zhao’s mother Yang Baoying responded to the verdict Thursday saying she believes Li “got the punishment he deserved.”

Two people from the Canadian embassy attended Li’s hearing, but declined to speak to reporters about the case.

Zhao was 20 years old and studying English at Coquitlam College at the time of her death.