An Edmonton woman who stabbed her estranged husband to death after tying him to a bed under the guise of sexual activity and then tried to mislead police was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

Amanda Michelle McInnes, 30, will not be eligible to apply for parole until she's served 18 years, ordered Court of Queen's Bench Justice Paul Belzil, who described the deadly September 2012 stabbing of Tye Christopher Kaye, 27, as the "callous and brutal killing" of a "completely unsuspecting" individual.

Belzil ruled it was aggravating that the slaying was a breach of trust, as it occurred in the context of domestic violence, as well as the fact that McInnes targeted and lured Kaye, she used gratuitous violence and then took steps to clean up the scene and deflect blame.

As the long-haired killer looked on sadly from her seat in the prisoner's box, the judge told a packed courtroom that the victim impact statements read out by Kaye's family were "heartbreaking" and he accepted that the family has been significantly affected by the "terrible event" and he hopes they now have some form of closure.

Outside court, Kaye's adoptive uncle, Mark Ciarciaglini, read out a statement on behalf of the victim's adoptive parents, thanking the Crown prosecutors and police officers who were involved in the case and speaking about domestic violence targeting men.

"It is our hope that today's verdict will bring attention to this matter," said Ciarciaglini. "Men also need support when they are the victims of abuse."

The family also said they were "satisfied" with the sentence and ready to move on from anger and bitterness to forgiveness.

"Today is the day we choose to forgive Amanda for what she has done," said Ciarciaglini. "It is difficult to understand what has happened in a person's life when evil has taken over. Perhaps some compassion towards Amanda will help her heal."

READ MORE: Edmonton woman facing life for stabbing husband 40 times

McInnes earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

According to an agreed statement of facts, McInnes and Kaye attended Edmonton's L.Y. Cairns, a high school for students with mild cognitive learning needs, and they began a romantic relationship in 2009. They were married in 2011, but broke up shortly after.

At the time of the murder, the couple were spending the weekend together in an attempt to reconcile. Kaye asked his roommates to leave for the weekend to give them privacy. However, McInnes told her family she was going to stay with a friend for the weekend.

Court heard McInnes bought a hacksaw, a padlock, some rope and a 20-cm chef's knife at a Canadian Tire as well as a bottle of vodka at a liquor store before going to Kaye's south-side apartment.

On the night of Sept. 23, 2012, Kaye's roommates came home and discovered his blood-covered body on his bed. His left hand and ankles were bound to the bed frame with rope and there was a blood-soaked bandana around his neck. McInnes later admitted she tied Kaye up after convincing him it was for a sexual purpose. An autopsy showed she then stabbed him 40 times.

To cover her tracks, McInnes made anonymous 911 calls reporting suspicious activity and, the day after the killing, returned to the apartment and wrote "Murder #3 — This is not over pigs" on the walls using a red crayon.

Police discovered McInnes tried to have her phone wiped and found on her computer news articles about women who kill their partners and dozens of incriminating Internet searches, including queries about poisons, how to stab someone, how long it takes to die of a stab wound, how to dismember a body, how to tie someone up for sex, and whether police can read deleted text messages.

On Tuesday, McInnes read out a letter of apology in court, and Belzil said Thursday that he accepts she is "truly remorseful." The judge also noted that McInnes had no prior criminal record and she has a low level of intellectual functioning.

toblais@postmedia.com

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