Antolin Garcia-Torres was found GUILTY by unanimous decision for the murder of Bay Area teen Sierra Lamar, who went missing in 2012.
Rope containing Sierra's DNA was found in Torres' car, and his semen was found on a piece of her clothing that was found in a cactus field.
The second phase of the trial, beginning May 16, will determine if he is sentenced to death, or life in prison without possibility of parole.
Sierra's body has still not been found.
"Nothing will take away the pain and the sorrow we’ve experienced every day, (and) will continue to experience the rest of our lives. We're grateful to the jurors coming up with the right decision. It gives us peace as a family knowing that this is not going to happen to another child. You can’t get away with something like this," Sierra's mother, Marlene LaMar, said.