A 25-year-old man from Prince George faces life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years after his conviction for first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a young mother.
Sentencing in B.C. Supreme Court
Zain Xavier Wood received the mandatory sentence from Justice Michael Tammen following his November conviction. The brutal attack occurred in 2023 at Isabelle Thomas’s home in the Alpine Village townhouse complex in Prince George. Wood entered the residence, spent about 35 seconds inside, and stabbed the 22-year-old Thomas 16 times on the second floor in front of her six-year-old and six-month-old daughters.
Justice Tammen described the crime as extremely aggravated, even among first-degree murders. “Ms. Thomas was an Indigenous woman who was 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 stated. He emphasized the unimaginable devastation to Thomas’s two daughters, noting that no legal remedy can repair the surviving family’s pain.
Victim’s Background and Life
Isabelle Thomas, born and raised in Prince George and a member of the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation, worked as a dietary aide. Loved ones portrayed her as kind, loving, and full of ambition for her future.
Perpetrator’s Claims Rejected
At the time, Wood was under house arrest for a prior offense and wore an electronic ankle monitor. He claimed during testimony that he entered the home to steal a PlayStation 4 to fund his legal fees and stabbed Thomas after she startled him. Wood also mentioned a brief romantic involvement with her in 2019. Justice Tammen dismissed these claims as ludicrous and rejected assertions of drug use or auditory hallucinations influencing his actions.
Tammen characterized the murder as “brutal, savage, callous, premeditated, and planned over a period of time.”
Family Impact Statements
Thomas’s mother, Leslie Thomas, delivered a poignant victim impact statement. She depicted her daughter as joyful, compassionate, and deeply tied to her family, friends, and cultural roots. “These two children will now grow up in a world forever changed, carrying a loss no child should ever have to bear,” Leslie Thomas said.
Leslie Thomas pointed to systemic shortcomings, noting Wood’s ankle monitor failed to prevent the tragedy. “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 explained. “If no one is watching, no alarm is raised.” She argued proactive supervision could have saved her daughter’s life.
Additional Penalties
Under Canadian law, first-degree murder mandates life imprisonment with 25 years before parole eligibility. Wood can seek a parole ineligibility reduction after 15 years. The court also imposed a lifetime firearms prohibition and no-contact orders protecting Thomas’s family, friends, and witnesses.
