India, May 16 -- More than four decades after the brutal killing of a 15-year-old girl shocked a community and haunted her loved ones, justice has finally been served.

Gary Ramirez, a 78-year-old resident of Maui, Hawaii, was sentenced today to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years for the 1982 murder of Karen Stitt, a high school student from Palo Alto. Ramirez had previously pleaded no contest to the charges earlier this year on February 24.

The sentencing took place in a Santa Clara County courtroom, where Judge Hanley Chew handed down the punishment. Emotions ran high as family members and friends of Karen Stitt filled the courtroom, some tearfully recounting the enduring grief and anger caused by the young girl'...