Prince George, B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): A justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia has sentenced 25-year-old Zain Xavier Wood to life imprisonment with no eligibility for parole for 25 years after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Isabelle Thomas.
Wood was found guilty in November for killing 22-year-old Thomas inside her townhouse at the Alpine Village complex in Prince George. The attack occurred in front of her two young daughters, aged six years and six months at the time. Court heard that Wood was inside the residence for approximately 35 seconds and stabbed Thomas 16 times on the second floor of the home.
During sentencing, Justice Michael Tammen described the crime as “extremely aggravated,” even within the scope of first-degree murder. He noted that Thomas, an Indigenous woman and member of the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation, was killed in the presence of her six-year-old daughter, who witnessed the fatal assault.
“The devastation wrought in respect to Ms. Thomas’ two daughters is unimaginable,” Tammen said in court, adding that no sentence could undo the harm caused to the family.
Thomas, who was born and raised in Prince George, worked as a dietary aide and was remembered by loved ones as compassionate and devoted to her family and culture.
At the time of the killing, Wood was under house arrest for a previous offence and was wearing an electronic ankle monitor. He testified during the trial that he had gone to the residence intending to steal a gaming console to pay legal fees and claimed he stabbed Thomas after she startled him. He also stated that the two had briefly dated in 2019.
Justice Tammen rejected Wood’s account, calling it “ludicrous,” and dismissed his claims of drug use and auditory hallucinations at the time of the offence. The judge characterized the murder as “brutal, savage, callous, premeditated and planned over a period of time.”
Victim impact statements were delivered by Thomas’ family members, including her mother, Leslie Thomas, who spoke about the lasting trauma inflicted on her granddaughters. She described the murder as a systemic failure, pointing out that Wood was under electronic monitoring at the time.
“An ankle monitor does not provide constant protection,” she told the court, stressing that supervision systems require active oversight to be effective.
Under Canadian law, a conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The court noted that Wood may apply for a review of his parole ineligibility period after serving 15 years.
In addition to the life sentence, Wood received a lifetime prohibition on possessing firearms and a no-contact order barring him from contacting members of Thomas’ family, friends, and witnesses connected to the case.
