A man convicted of first degree murder in the death of a Filipina American faces life imprisonment.
Family and friends of MaKayla Rhiner wept and hugged as Brandon Hansen, 34, of Las Vegas was convicted of first-degree murder in her fatal stabbing in August of 2017.
“We’ve all held our breaths for the last 11 months,” Rhiner’s mother, Lynn Pingol, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And this was our big exhale.”
Hanson faces life in prison without the possibility of parole at a sentencing set for Aug. 7, a almost a year after Rhiner’s slaying.
Reiner and Hanson had dated a few times. During the trial, Hanson’s lawyer said his client was despondent after a breakup and the slaying was not premeditated.
“I cannot comment on him, I do not know him. I only saw him in court. Justice should prevail for whatever he did,” said Makayla’s grandmother, Dr. Ludmilla Pingol, after the verdict. “And I thank the Filipino community for giving us all the support, and all our friends and family to help us cope.”
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