Estranged boyfriend of missing Michigan woman convicted of murder 15 years later
Brad Cournaya (Michigan Department of Corrections)
EAST LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The estranged boyfriend of a Michigan woman who disappeared in 2008 has been convicted of her murder.
Brad Cournaya, 56, is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole when he is sentenced Aug. 28.
An extensive investigation led police to determine that Cournaya murdered Krista Lueth.
Lueth's family reported her missing in November 2008 after she didn't show up for classes at Michigan State University. She left her pet locked in her apartment and food cooking on the stove, as if she had only stepped out for a moment.
Investigators declared the disappearance a murder in 2009.
Krista Lueth (NamUs)
Lueth's body has never been found, but police say forensic and circumstantial evidence was enough to convict Cournaya.
Cournaya is currently in prison after he was convicted of trafficking a minor in 2017.
"I am incredibly proud of the determination shown by our detectives involved with this case. They never gave up on bringing justice for Krista and some closure to her family. We are extremely pleased with the verdict in this case and will continue to diligently search for Krista," said Capt. Steve O’Neill, Commander of the Michigan Stare Police First District.