Chase Cook, 23, has been told he will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Madeline Bills in Oklahoma. Bills was killed just days before she was due to graduate from high school, a detail that has underscored the sense of a life cut tragically short and drawn significant public attention to the case.

The sentencing brings a formal conclusion to the prosecution of Cook, who was found responsible for both raping and murdering the teenager. Court authorities confirmed the life sentence ensures he will remain behind bars permanently, reflecting the severity with which the crime was treated by the Oklahoma justice system.