A Winnipeg man was sentenced Thursday morning, in the vicious murder of a transgender woman known as Divas B.

Theodore Herntier received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 15 years.

In his decision Justice Richard Saull said, "I find this offence rates very high on the moral culpability scale."

Herntier was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in 2015 in the September 2004 murder of David Boulanger who went by the name of Divas B.

Boulanger, who was originally from Berens River in northern Manitoba, was a sex trade worker.

Court heard Herntier picked up Boulanger in his truck in the area of Main St. and Sutherland Ave on the evening of Sep. 30, 2004.

Court heard Boulanger was bludgeoned to death at Herntier's machine shop, suffering nine blows to the head.

The motive for the killing remains unclear.

"This was a senseless, brutal killing of a vulnerable person," said Justice Saull. "Divas B was an easy target."

Boulanger's body was wrapped in plastic and concealed behind a truck stop near Portage la Prairie.

Boulanger's body was discovered on Nov. 3, 2004.

Herntier was arrested and charged in 2010.

In his remarks, Justice Saull referenced testimony from a witness who owned a business near Herntier's shop.

During the trial the man testified that Herntier told him, "I made a mistake and killed someone no one would miss because they are scum."

Justice Saull said he believes the comment was made in regards to Boulanger.

He factored in concealment of the body and "the lack of motive for the crime other than killing for the sake of killing" in his decision.

"As for comments made about Divas B being scum, I have no explanation for that," said Justice Saull.

Tammy Boulanger, the victim's sister, said she's relieved Herntier won't be eligible for parole for 15 years but she's disappointed he hasn't shown more sympathy.

"I was glad that he's getting more time," said Boulanger. "The part that bugged me was he called (David) scum."

"He was a human like us. We eat, we drink. And he was like me, almost like me," said Boulanger. "When I see my friends or his friends they say ‘he reminds me of you’."

Boulanger said she's still trying to understand why her brother was killed.