By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen

First-Degree Murder Trial

No verdict yet in first-degree murder case against Prince George man

Oct 5, 2025 | 12:23 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — A BC Supreme Court judge will deliver his verdict on Nov. 10 after hearing the first-degree murder trial of a 25-year-old Prince George man.

At the end of closing arguments on Oct. 2, Justice Michael Tammen scheduled the 90-minute hearing to give his reasons for judgment.

Zain Xavier Wood pleaded not guilty when the trial began Sept. 2. However, one of his defence lawyers, Tony Lagemaat, conceded during closing arguments on Oct. 1 that Wood should be found guilty of manslaughter, for causing the death of 22-year-old ex-girlfriend Isabelle Thomas in her home on July 18, 2023.

Wood testified in his own defence during the trial, that he went to Thomas’s Alpine Village townhouse twice on July 12 and July 13, 2023 to scope the place out with the intent to steal her PlayStation 4 video game console. He claimed he wanted to sell it in order to pay a legal bill. Wood also claimed he was high on methamphetamine on the day of the crime.

“There’s no credible evidence of intoxication at all,” said Crown prosecutor Tyler Bauman in his closing arguments. “There’s certainly no evidence that could lead to the conclusion that Mr. Wood could not foresee the consequences of his actions.”

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He said Tammen should reject outright Wood’s evidence of meth use and psychosis and cited Bauman expert witness, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Tyler Oswald. Oswald testified that if Wood had been intoxicated, then it was not at such a high level as to impair his judgment in any observable way.

The Crown case said Wood entered Thomas’s residence through an unlocked door with his knife at the ready, ran up the stairs, chased Thomas into the bedroom and repeatedly stabbed her before fleeing. He was inside for 35 seconds.

Wood claimed he heard voices in his head, including that of Thomas, who said the residence was empty.

Bauman called Wood’s PlayStation 4 story “absurd.”

“It makes no sense that Mr. Wood would go to the trouble to steal a badly outdated and relatively worthless gaming console when he had one of his own that he could have sold,” Bauman said. “Or he could have stolen one from just about any residence in Prince George and certainly any electronics store.”

Bauman said Wood’s testimony was “inconsistent, deceptive and evasive.” Evidence showed Wood did not act with any “hesitation, indecision, intoxication or disordered thought.” Instead, he was focused, purposeful and deliberate after the offence.

Bauman said Wood kept the knife until he was near a wooded area where he tossed it into the bush. The weapon was never recovered by police. Wood returned home, washed his hands, took a shower and put his clothes in the washing machine. He called a probation officer and invited a friend to play video games.

In his rebuttal, Wood’s other defence lawyer, Mark Berry, disputed Bauman’s framing of Wood’s intent.

“What (Wood) was saying was, yeah, it was planned and deliberate to steal the PlayStation. He didn’t, at any point say, yeah, I planned and deliberated to kill Miss Thomas,” Berry said.