The man who stabbed his fiancee to death while trapping her in a van at The Promenade mall, after raping her and keeping her bound, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Mandio said he was "struck by the horror of this murder.

"You do deserve the punishment you are going to get."

Mickey David Beauchamp Wagstaff, 27, was convicted of murder with special circumstances in the death of his fiancée, Elizabeth “Bipsy” Kellenbarger Amirian, 27, of Temecula.

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Family and friends of a woman stabbed to death in a van at The Promenade today vented their sadness and anger at the man who killed their relative and friend.

"When we lost Bipsy ... there were depths that we didn't even know that we could deal with," said Michael Plato, stepfather of Elizabeth "Bipsy" Kellenbarger Amirian, of Temecula.

Mickey David Beauchamp Wagstaff, 27, of Pala, convicted of murder with special circumstances in the death of his fiancée, Elizabeth “Bipsy” Kellenbarger Amirian, 27, of Temecula.

At the start of the sentencing hearing, Mandio said he would listen to any statements in mitigation of sentencing but there could be only one outcome.

“Factors in mitigation are really not a consideration here because of the law."

The Riverside County District Attorney opted not to seek the death penalty and Wagstaff faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Amirian's brother Isaac addressed his remarks to Wagstaff.

“You just don’t seem to realize that you are a horrible person," Amirian said.

“I don’t think you get that. You dominated and deceived her. You didn’t show us who you really were.”

Family painted a portrait of Wagstaff as a controlling person with anger issues, and Isaac Amirian said that a notebook found following her death indicated she wanted to leave her future murderer but was frightened of his anger.

Prosecutor Jennifer Garcia became emotional watching memorial videos of the victim.

“This is by far one of the most violent murders I’ve ever seen," Garcia said.

 “It was a bloodbath and he tortured her for two days.”

Then, said Garcia, “He stabbed her 39 times.”

Garcia said that in raping Amirian, the defendant took “what he knew she believed was sacred to her heart,” which was her promise of no sex before marriage.

“The defendant who has painted himself as a pious, religious person, is actually very controlling,” Garcia told the court.