Alain Perreault, 48, shown here at an earlier court appearance, has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Lyne Massicotte. (CBC)Quebec City resident Alain Perreault has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2003 death of Lyne Massicotte, a woman he met online.

The 12-member jury took three days to reach their verdict, rendered Friday morning at the Quebec City courthouse.

Perreault, 48, faces a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.

Massicotte disappeared after travelling to Quebec City to meet Perreault on July 17, 2003.

Perreault testified that Massicotte left his apartment at 6 p.m. the night she disappeared, and he never saw her again.

But his testimony contradicted an apparent video confession that showed Perreault admitting to an undercover police officer that he murdered Massicotte

The officer was posing as the boss of a criminal organization that Perreault had joined.

Lyne Massicotte's body was never found following her disappearance in July 2003. (CBC)The jury decided they didn't believe Perreault's testimony.

Massicotte's family said it is relieved to finally have closure.

"It's a part of our lives finally coming to a conclusion," said Massicotte's daughter Catherine Doucet. "I think we all reacted in the same way, we wanted to jump in joy."

Crown prosecutor Lyne Morais said the family has waited a long time for this decision.

"I'm very satisfied, and I'm very happy for the family, they've been waiting for this moment for 7½ years. And after speaking to them after the verdict, I know that they are turning the page," said Morais.

The defence did not comment on the Friday verdict, but prosecutors and the victim's family said they were expecting the defence to appeal.