ALPENA — Brad Srebnik, the man found guilty of murdering Brynn Bills and Abby Hill in 2021 in Alpena, will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Judge Alan Curtis, 88th District Court judge, issued his sentence on Thursday after Srebnik again maintained his innocence and family and friends of the victims shared impact statements with the court.

The sentencing was held in 88th District Court instead of 26th Circuit Court.

Srebnik intends to appeal the verdict and sentence.

Curtis was blunt in his reasoning for sending Srebnik to prison for the rest of his life and indicated that, if he had the ability to order a death sentence, he would.

“This sentence is set in stone,” Curtis told Srebnik. “I have to give you life in prison with no possibility for parole, but it pains me that you get life when you intentionally and deliberately murdered two young women. They do not get life. You made that decision for them. There is an older form of justice, one that goes back to biblical times. It’s an eye for an eye. You deserve death, but our state does not have the death penalty. So you get life.”

Srebnik was convicted for strangling Bills and mutilating and burying her body behind his friend Josh Wirgau’s house on Naylor Road in an attempt to cover up his crime.

The jury also determined Srebnik murdered Hill by shooting her in the head when he feared she may go to the police to report that he murdered Bills.

Check out this interactive timeline of police’s investigation into the deaths of Brynn Bills and Abby Hill. Story continues below timeline.

Wirgau reached a plea deal with the state for his role in the crimes, agreeing to plead guilty and provide testimony against Srebnik in exchange for murder charges against him being dropped. Wirgau was sentenced in February to 15 to 30 years in prison.

Wirgau’s testimony was key, as he walked jurors through the crimes in detail and said Srebnik admitted to him that he killed Bills and that he saw Srebnik holding and pointing a gun at Hill when she was killed.

Before Bills’ and Hill’s family read impact statements aimed at having Curtis issue the life sentence, Srebnik addressed Bills’ and Hills’ family and friends and, like previously, he maintained his innocence and denied he played any role in the women’s deaths.

“I just want to say I am sorry for your losses,” Srebnik said. “But I am innocent. I did not kill Brynn Bills and I did not kill Abby Hill. There is no justice being served here today.”

His statement didn’t move Bills’ and Hill’s supporters, who unleashed on Srebnik for not taking accountability for his actions and some who wished Srebnik would suffer the same outcome as the two girls.

It has taken nearly three years to put a stamp on justice for Srebnik and Wirgau’s crimes. The disappearance of and subsequent discovery of Bills’ and Hill’s bodies made national headlines.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office led the prosecution effort with Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski.

Srebnik’s trial lasted nearly two weeks after being delayed several times as attorneys combed through tens of thousands of documents, photos, cell phone data, interview statements, and other reports from the various expert witnesses that were brought in to crack the case.

Like during Srebnik’s trial, there was a heavy police presence at the 88th District Court on Thursday and each person entering the courtroom was searched with a medical detector.