Man to spend life in prison for murder of transgender teen

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A man has been ordered to spend life in prison without parole for killing a transgender teen whose burned remains were found three years ago in southwest Missouri.

Andrew Vrba, now 21, was sentenced Friday in Greene County for first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the killing of 17-year-old Ally Steinfeld.

She had been missing for weeks when her remains were found in September 2017 in the Texas County town of Cabool, a rural area about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Springfield.

Authorities say the crime wasn’t motivated by Steinfeld’s gender identity.