Life Sentence for Man Who Murdered Mary Washington Student

A 32-year old man was formally sentenced Tuesday in the strangulation death of McLean resident Grace Rebecca Mann, 20, who was a student at Mary Washington University when she died April 17, 2015. The two were housemates.

Steven Vander Briel was sentenced by Fredericksburg Circuit Court Judge Gordon F. Willis Tuesday to life in prison, plus 11 years and was also told to pay $5,000 toward the costs of Mann's funeral expenses.

"You are an intelligent young man, but you committed a senseless act of violence … that ended an exceptional woman's life," Willis told Briel before sentencing him, Fredericksburg.com reported.

More than 1,000 mourners gathered April 21 in Falls Church to say goodbye to Mann. Grace was the daughter of Thomas P. Mann, a Fairfax County juvenile and domestic relations judge and Melissa Mann.

Briel and his family said he suffered from mental illness. He pleaded not guilty to the charges of first degree murder, strangulation and abduction. Dr. Eileen Ryan, the medical director at the University of Virginia's Institute of law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, diagnosed Briel with paranoid schizophrenia and said Briel believed people were trying to kill him, according to a report by NBC-4. But another psychiatrist testified Briel knew what he was doing.

Fredericksburg Police have said that Mann’s death was caused by “asphyxia due to strangulation” per the state medical examiner’s office.

PHOTO of Grace Mann/family photo