BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA: Katie Pham, a 21-year-old woman was brutally killed by her boyfriend Daniel Gunnarsson on May 18, 2021, in California.
Nearly two and a half years later, the 23-year-old man who was charged with her murder was sentenced Thursday, October 26 for murdering Pham with an ax at a relative's home.
Gunnarsson was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars and also faces an additional two years and four months, according to People.
What are the charges against Daniel Gunnarsson?
On August 30, a Kern County jury found Gunnarsson guilty of mutilation of a corpse and first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in the death of Pham, according to a news release from the Kern County District Attorney's Office.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from a Ridgecrest home on May 18, 2021, where they discovered a woman with body trauma.
The victim, later identified as Pham, was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed in a statement posted on Facebook.
Gunnarson was arrested and charged with murder the same day.
How was Daniel Gunnarsson caught?
Before the murder, Pham and Gunnarsson had been in a romantic relationship for about a month, as confirmed by the District Attorney's office
Prosecutors alleged that the killer displayed animosity toward the victim, and his friends believed he showed signs of suicidal behavior.
Hours before the murder, Gunnarson went to his stepfather's Ridgecrest home and "discussed his failing relationship" with Pham.
After apologizing to her over the phone, Gunnarson picked Pham up from her apartment and brought her to his stepfather's home.
Upon their arrival, he led her into the RV garage, where painters arrived shortly after to complete a job at the residence.
The painters claimed they heard a woman screaming and also the sound of shuffling items.
An hour later, the painters who opened the garage door found Gunnarsson covered in blood and Pham dead on a mattress topper.
The victim who was partially unclothed was lying face down. The painters who called 911 went to the stepfather for help.
According to prosecutors, the gloves found at the scene were put on by Gunnarsson who used a 24-inch-long ice ax for the murder.
He struck Pham more than 10 times in the face, neck, and head.
Following the killing, Gunnarsson touched Pham's body in a "sexual manner".
"Only a monster would do such a thing," said Pham’s grandmother, Sheila Rockwell.
