Michael Ball was sentenced Friday to one day in prison, plus time already served.

The sentence was for the offence of committing an indignity to a dead body, of which he was convicted last week.

Ball's lawyer had suggested a sentence of 18 months, which would mean no additional jail time because of the time he had already spent in custody, while the Crown had argued for a four-year sentence.

The law stipulated that Justice Gerry Taylor could not sentence Ball to no further time in custody, so Friday’s sentence represented the least time in prison he could mandate.

The Kitchener resident had also been charged with first-degree murder, but a mistrial was declared on that count after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on their third day of deliberations.

Both charges were in connection with the death of 28-year-old Erin Howlett, whose remains were found in a duffel bag in the Grand River in July 2013.

The Crown plans to prosecute Ball a second time for killing Howlett.

Speaking outside the courthouse after Friday’s verdict, senior Crown attorney Mark Poland emphasized that Ball is still facing the first-degree murder charge laid against him more than two years ago.

The prosecutor said that he planned to meet with Taylor and defence lawyers “to figure out how we sort out what comes next.”

That includes the status of Ball’s bail, as well as things like whether the 24-year-old plans to appeal his conviction – something he has 30 days to decide – and if a second murder trial would be moved out of Waterloo Region.

“There’s 10 miles of bumpy road to go,” Poland said.

Between his arrest and being granted bail weeks before the start of his trial, Ball spent nearly two years in prison.

Following Friday’s proceedings, Ball’s mother told reporters that she believed her son was “innocent on all charges.”

“He had nothing to do with this,” Rosemary Ball said.

Family members of Howlett said that they were disappointed in the sentencing, and hope for a different outcome at a second trial.

“At least he’s going to still be tried again,” mother Cathy Howlett said.

“He’s still up for murder – and maybe this time we’ll get that conviction.”

Defence lawyer Brennan Smart, who represented Ball at his trial and said Friday that no decision had been made about whether he would continue to do so, said he would like to see police take another look at the case.

“I don’t pretend to be a detective, but I think I would like to see some of the investigative avenues followed up that were pointed out during the course of this trial,” he told CTV News.

During the trial, Smart suggested that police should have considered James Baechler – a man who Howlett had recently begun dating – as a suspect in the death.

Ball, 24, was expected to be released from custody late in the day Friday.

His bail conditions, including having to wear an ankle bracelet equipped with a GPS tracker, remain in effect.

He also faces a number of weapons and drugs charges.