AMES, Iowa (AP) — The man who killed a former Iowa State University golfer has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A Story County judge on Friday pronounced the mandatory sentence against 22-year-old Collin Richards.
Collins pleaded guilty on June 14 to first-degree murder for the Sept. 17 slaying of 22-year-old Celia Barquin Arozamena. Police say Richards stabbed her while she was playing on a course near the campus in Ames, leaving her body in a pond.
Richards had been staying at a homeless encampment in nearby woods.
Barquin was a top golfer in Spain as a teenager and came to Iowa State to pursue her career.
A lawyer for her family told The Des Moines Register that relatives hope Richards' sentencing will give them some closure.