The man who killed an Iowa State golfer has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

A Story County judge pronounced the mandatory sentence Friday for 22-year-old Collin Richards. He'd pleaded guilty on June 14 to first-degree murder for the Sept. 17 slaying of 22-year-old Celia Barquin Arozamena. Police said 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.

The Iowa State marching band paid tribute to Celia Barquin Arozamena before a football game in September. Associated Press

Barquin Arozamena 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 let them attain some closure.