Yuan Xi Tang sentenced to life after mother found in suitcase
The son of a Chinese woman whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in 2012 on a remote West Coast island has been sentenced to life in jail with no chance of parole for 17 years.
Yuan Xi Tang, 28, was found guilty of second-degree murder earlier this month, after the discovery of Lianjie Guo, 47, in a suitcase on Harwood Island, north of Powell River, B.C.
The conviction carries an automatic life sentence, but the judge had to decide when he would be eligible for parole.
Tang's lawyer Troy Anderson welcomed today's sentence, even though he had asked the court for a more lenient parole eligibility in the 12 to 15 year range.
"He's relieved that he's been properly convicted of second-degree murder and that's the offence he admitted to," said Anderson.
Tang was originally charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. An outstanding charge of conspiring with undercover officers to kill his father was stayed on Tuesday.
"My opinion of that charge was that it was quite weak given that the conversation relating to the father arose within the context of the undercover operation," said Anderson.
Facing eventual deportation
When Tang is eventually released, Anderson said he'll be sent to an immigration detention centre and likely face deportation.
Tang's family from China was not in court today. His mother Guo was declared missing on June 7, 2012, the day she was scheduled to fly back to China after she and her husband visited their son in Vancouver.
Police said Yuan Xi Tang came to Canada on a student visa in 2006.
