The young Richmond, B.C. man who killed his mother and disposed of her body in a suitcase has been convicted of second-degree murder.
A jury unanimously found Yuan Xi “William” Tang guilty of the charge on Thursday following more than a week of deliberations.
The 25-year-old previously admitted to beating his mother, 47-year-old Lianjie Guo, to death, but could have been convicted of first-degree murder if the jury believed it was premeditated.
His lawyer Troy Anderson told reporters his client felt relieved by the verdict.
"He committed a terrible crime and he's always been prepared to take responsibilty for that, but he's relieved that he's been convicted of the crime he committed," Anderson said.
"He's first of all very ashamed and very upset about what he did. I mean, he killed his mother – he certainly doesn't take that lightly."
Guo, who lived in China, went missing during a visit to Canada with her husband in June 2012, triggering a massive manhunt.
Her badly decomposed body was eventually found in a suitcase, which police believe was dumped off the coast of Richmond and floated to Harwood Island.
The jury in Tang’s trial took 11 days to decide whether to convict the 25-year-old of second-degree murder or first-degree murder, which would have prevented him from applying for parole for 25 years.
Under the second-degree murder charge, the young man’s parole eligibility will be determined in a sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Nov. 20.
