Timeline of the Burns-Rafay case
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1994
July 13: Sebastian Burns calls Bellevue police at 2 a.m. Atif Rafay's parents, Tariq and Sultana, are found dead in separate rooms; his sister, Basma Rafay, is critically injured and dies later that morning.
July 14: Deaths ruled homicides; Rafays were bludgeoned to death. Bellevue police identify Atif Rafay and Burns as "persons of interest."
July 15: Burns and Rafay, both Canadian citizens, take a bus to Canada on same day as funeral services for the Rafay family.
1995
January: Police say Burns and Rafay are suspects in the slayings.
April 11: Royal Canadian Mounted Police undercover detective contacts Burns outside North Vancouver barbershop.
July 11: DNA obtained from Burns; police won't say how.
July 19: RCMP undercover officers meet Rafay.
July 31: Rafay and Burns arrested at their rental home in Vancouver suburb; each is charged in King County with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.
1996
January: Extradition arguments are heard in Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Feb. 2: B.C. judge rules there's sufficient evidence to extradite Burns and Rafay. Defense attorneys later petition B.C.'s Court of Appeal, seeking judicial review.
July 12: Canadian Justice Minister Allan Rock orders extradition of Rafay and Burns without asking for assurance that the two will be spared the death penalty.
1997
May 12: A three-judge panel of the B.C. appeals court begins hearings on defendants' petition seeking review of the extradition order.
June 29: The Court of Appeal rules it is unconstitutional to surrender a Canadian citizen to stand trial in another country where he could face the death penalty.
Dec. 4: The Supreme Court of Canada agrees to hear arguments in the Burns and Rafay extradition case.
1998
October: Supreme Court hearings are delayed after Amnesty International intervenes in the case, arguing the men's rights under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms would be violated if they were put to death in Washington.
1999
March: Supreme Court of Canada begins extradition hearings. Justices are unable to decide whether defendants should be sent back to Washington state.
2000
May 23: Second round of extradition hearings opens before the Supreme Court of Canada.
2001
Feb. 15: Supreme Court of Canada unanimously rules that Rafay and Burns can't be extradited to the United States without a guarantee they won't be executed.
March 9: King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng announces he won't seek the death penalty.
March 29: Rafay and Burns are brought back to Washington and booked into King County Jail.
April 6: Each defendant pleads not guilty to three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.
2002
April 8: Superior Court Judge Charles Mertel dismisses Rafay's public defenders, Gary Davis and Jim Koenig; moves trial date from May 2002 to March 2003.
Aug. 10: Guards report seeing public defender Theresa Olson having sex with Burns in jail conference room.
Aug. 14: Judge Mertel dismisses Olson from the case.
Aug. 20: Mertel dismisses Olson's co-counsel, Neil Fox; orders new attorneys be appointed for Burns.
Aug. 27: Jeff Robinson and Song Richardson, from the law firm Schroeter, Goldmark and Bender, are appointed to represent Burns.
2003
April 22: Pretrial hearings begin into the admissibility of evidence collected by Canadian police.
Sept. 30: Mertel rejects defense motion to suppress evidence gathered by Canadian officials.
Oct. 10: Jury selection begins.
Nov. 24: Opening statements begin.
2004
May 21: Jurors begin deliberations.
May 26: Burns and Rafay are found guilty on three counts each of aggravated first-degree murder. No sentencing date has been set.
— Sara Jean Green