The family of Ruadeewan Polprasit hugged each other and burst into tears after the Kalasin Provincial Court on Thursday convicted and sentenced the man who killed their bright, 18-year-old girl.
Krittidech Rawengwan, a former village chief of Ban Si Than in Kamalasai district of Kalasin, was sentenced to death for the murder and rape of Ruadeewan, known by all as "Nong Snow".
"The family lit joss sticks on Wednesday telling Nong Snow that the day was finally coming," her elder sister Pattaranit said after the court session ended.
"Thank you Kalasin police and Kalasin prosecutors," she added.
One person who never gave up hope in seeking justice for Ruadeewan was her mother Lamyai.
She sat in the courtroom on Thursday with her sisters, who kept patting her lap as she tried to maintain her composure while listening to the judges reading out their ruling.
Then, the moment she and her family had waited for so long finally arrived. Krittidech was found guilty and sentenced.
"Heaven knows," Mrs Lamyai said. "I am not fighting any more now. I have been fighting for 464 days," she added.
Day One of her fight came when she learned that her 18-year-old daughter had died from her injuries after she was attacked while riding her motorcycle home from Rong Kham school on Dec 23, 2015 .
Mrs Lamyai said she was determined to get justice for her daughter.
Throughout the trial she took a framed photo of Ruadeewan with her into the courtroom every day, to hear the testimony of the 40 prosecution and 11 defence witnesses called in the case. The court allowed her to do so.
On Thursday, the court did not allow it. Instead she took her daughter's favourite medal with her into the courtroom. But she still took the photograph of her daughter to the court building.
"It was my daughter's favourite medal," she said, but did not know what the medal was for.
Days and weeks dragged by as police investigators and prosecutors worked on the case, and then Krittidech was arrested on April 4, 2016. Along the way, Mrs Lamyai said, she went through difficult periods, but one person kept her going, her murdered daughter Ruadeewan.
"Sometimes I felt down. But every time I looked at the picture of my little girl (in the house), she gave me strength to go on," she said.
But her fight might not be over after the ruling on Thursday. Wirat Pipornpong, Krittidech's defence lawyer, said his client planned to appeal.
Mrs Pattaranit said the family of Nong Snow will continue the fight if the case does go to the Court of Appeal.
"The family is happy now. Let Nong Snow be the last rape victim," she said. "It is very sad when this kind of things happens to any family."