Foerster found guilty of murdering B.C. teen

CTV Vancouver: Teen killer convicted of murder Matthew Foerster has been found guilty in the 2011 murder of Taylor Van Diest.

A jury has found Matthew Foerster guilty in the first-degree murder of Armstrong teen Taylor Van Diest.

The 28-year-old, who did not testify, was convicted of first-degree murder in a B.C. Supreme Court trial in Kelowna. The jury began deliberations Friday afternoon.

Van Diest, 18, was attacked on Halloween night in 2011 while walking to a party. She was found lying unconscious near railway tracks in Armstrong, B.C.

The trial heard that her skull was fractured and she died in the hospital several hours later.

While Foerster admitted to killing the teen girl, the defense said he did not intend to kill Van Diest.

DNA was found under one of Van Diest's fingernails which linked the case to a previous attack on a woman in Kelowna. In that case, a composite drawing was made of the suspect which led the investigation to Foerster.

Foerster’s lawyer Lisa Jean Helps told the court that her client should have been found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. She said that although Foerster had sexual thoughts about Van Diest there was no evidence he intended to rape her.

Crown lawyer Iain Currie said there was little doubt Foerster intended to kill the teen since he hit Van Diest on the head with a heavy flashlight, tightened a shoelace and disposed of the evidence.

Marie Van Diest said she noticed the jury’s response as the verdict was read on Saturday.

“[There were] some pretty teary jurors as well, some smiling jurors,” she said. “I think they basically have felt the emotions that we have felt throughout, and we thank them all very much for that."

Taylor’s twin sister Kirstie Van Diest said the nervous energy was palpable as the family waited to hear the jury’s decision.

“The anxiety was through the roof,” she said. “At least we got the best outcome we could have gotten under the circumstances.”

“Amen,” her mother added.

Taylor’s father Raymond Van Diest said the verdict is a relief for the community.

“It’s nice to know that an individual like this is taken away and no other female ever has to go through this," he said.

When it comes to moving on with their family life, Mrs. Van Diest said the transition will be difficult.

"I think we try to carry on with life with a different sense of normal,” she said. “It's something we're just going to have to re-create…we’ll do the best we can."

In Canada a first-degree murder verdict carries an automatic life sentence with no parole for 25 years.

With files from the Canadian Press and CTV Vancouver’s Kent Molgat