Life Imprisonment for First-Degree Murder
A British Columbia Supreme Court justice sentences Zain Xavier Wood, 25, to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years. Wood faces conviction for first-degree murder after stabbing 22-year-old Isabelle Thomas to death in her Prince George home in 2023, right in front of her two young daughters.
The attack occurs at the Alpine Village townhouse complex. Wood enters the residence, stays for about 35 seconds, and inflicts 16 stab wounds on Thomas on the second floor. Her six-year-old daughter witnesses the brutal killing and her mother’s death.
Justice Highlights Aggravating Factors
Justice Michael Tammen describes the crime as extremely aggravated, even among first-degree murders. He notes, “Ms. Thomas was an Indigenous woman brutally murdered within the sanctity of her own home. Mr. Wood killed Ms. Thomas in the presence of her six-year-old daughter who witnessed the killing of her mother and saw her mother die from her injuries.”
Tammen emphasizes the unimaginable devastation to Thomas’s daughters. “Nothing within the confines of the Canadian legal system can ever undo the pain, salve the wounds, or make meaningful reparations for the surviving family members,” he states.
The justice labels the murder as “brutal, savage, callous, premeditated, and planned over a period of time.”
Victim’s Life and Legacy
Isabelle Thomas, born and raised in Prince George and a member of the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation, works as a dietary aide. Friends and family remember her as kind, loving, and full of big plans for her future.
Perpetrator’s Background and Defense
At the time of the incident, Wood remains on house arrest for a prior offense and wears an electronic ankle monitor. He testifies that he enters the home to steal a PlayStation 4 to fund his lawyer and stabs Thomas after she startles him. Wood also claims a brief romantic involvement with Thomas in 2019.
Tammen dismisses Wood’s account as “ludicrous” and rejects claims of drug use or hearing voices during the offense.
Family’s Victim Impact Statements
Thomas’s mother, Leslie Thomas, delivers a poignant victim impact statement. She portrays her daughter as joyful, compassionate, and deeply connected to family, friends, and culture. “These two children will now grow up in a world forever changed, carrying a loss no child should ever have to bear,” she says.
Leslie Thomas calls the murder a systemic failure, pointing out Wood’s ankle monitor. “An ankle monitor does not provide constant protection. Tracking is often not continuous and may require a police officer or bail supervisor to actively request location data,” she explains. “If no one is watching, no alarm is raised.” Proactive supervision, she argues, might have saved her daughter’s life.
Sentence Details
First-degree murder in Canada mandates life imprisonment with 25 years before parole eligibility. Wood can apply for a parole ineligibility reduction after 15 years. The court imposes a lifetime firearms prohibition and a no-contact order protecting Thomas’s family, friends, and witnesses.
