Murder trial begins nearly 6 years after Burnaby teen's death

The trial of a man accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl in Burnaby in 2017 begins Wednesday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Ibrahim Ali faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with the girl's death.

The B.C. Crown Prosecution Service saidWednesday a publication ban had been placed on the girl's name.

Her body was found in a wooded corner in Burnaby's Central Park on July 18, 2017.

Ali was arrested over a year later, on Sept. 7, 2018.

Police have said Ali, who was 28 years old at the time of his arrest, had no previous criminal record and arrived in Canada as a refugee from Syria 17 months before his arrest.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has called the investigation into the teenager's killing its largest to date. Police say more than 600 interviews were conducted.

The jury trial is taking place in Vancouver and is expected to last until June 30.