Christopher Drabik's mother Bernadette said, "Chris was, is, and always will be love. A murderer, or three murderers, can never take that away."

Seventeen months and three murder trials later, Bernadette Drabik said she speaks for one person -- her son Chris.

"If I lived forever, I could not fathom the evil mind of one who would, for months, methodically plot and plan the murder of another person, and not have the guts to execute it himself, but needed two stooges to carry out his scheme," she said.

Without saying a word, Michael Hoffler was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2003 murder of Rensselaer County resident Christopher Drabik.

Drabik was a confidential informant who was going to testify against Hoffler in a drug trial. But before he could testify, prosecutors said Hoffler conspired with two other men to have Drabik killed.

Rensselaer County DA Patricia DeAngelis said, "When the detectives from Albany told the Drabiks that no one has ever been killed from being a CI, they were honest. You can't say that anymore. There are confidential informants who are afraid, and they don't want to work anymore with the police. We can't fight the war on drugs without confidential informants."

Hoffler's attorney, Ray Kelly, said, "He has denied from day one that he had anything to do with Chris Drabik's death. He has said that repeatedly. He said so in the pre-sentence report, eventually he will be vindicated."

Bernadette Drabik said, "It is our hope that procedures in Albany County will be changed in order to protect CI's confidentiality. Christopher's murder is one death too many."

Kelly has already filed an appeal. The two other men involved were also convicted and sentenced to life in prison for Drabik's death.