Members of the family of murdered university student Jamie Gao have broken their silence after a jury found disgraced former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara guilty of the 20-year-old's murder.

But his family says that, despite the legal system working, nothing will bring their Jamie back.

"No matter what today's findings are or the sentence that is given, it won't change the fact that Jamie remains absent from the lives of our family - the people who love him - and we miss him every single day," the Gao family said in a statement.

"Today the legal system worked. Two very dangerous criminals have been found guilty," the family said.

"But while this is the verdict our family were hoping would be delivered, true justice can never really be served. Yes, Jamie was a young man who had made some mistakes - but what young person hasn't?

"No 20-year-old deserves to lose their life over a stupid mistake."

Rogerson and McNamara showed no emotion as the jury of five women and seven men handed down their verdict in the NSW Supreme Court.

The jury took 6½ days to consider their verdict.

McNamara, wearing a navy blue suit and a striped tie, did not react as the jury forewoman read out the verdict.

Rogerson showed no emotion and put his left hand on a piece of paper he appeared to be reading.

However, as Justice Geoffrey Bellew formally pronounced the convictions, McNamara stood blinking.

Rogerson bowed his head and kept two clenched fists on the bench in front of him.

After the verdict was read to the court, Glen McNamara's daughter Jessica ran into the court complex on King Street.

She later left with another family member, not wanting to talk to the large media pack waiting outside.

McNamara's barrister Gabriel Wendler indicated his client would appeal the decision.

Rogerson's barrister George Thomas said: "the jury made its decision".

Detective Chief Inspector Russell Oxford spoke outside court and said that he wanted no one to forget what had happened to Mr Gao.

He also spoke of the hard work the NSW Police's Robbery and Serious Crime squad had put into the case.

"Today's decision, the jury's verdict today, is very pleasing for us; it's a culmination of many, many months of hard work and I think from the outset I'd just like to praise all the efforts of police," he said.

Chief Inspector Oxford also paid tribute to Mr Gao - and said he felt for the family.

"This young man, Jamie Gao, I suppose a lot's been forgotten about him. He was lured into this unit, into a drug deal and then simply executed and unceremoniously wrapped in a bag and dumped in the sea.

"I feel for the family, for Jamie Gao's family, I feel for him; regardless of what was said about young Jamie, he's still a human being.

"He could have been any one of our sons or daughters or grandchildren.

"I think that's probably what's lost in today, is [that] Jamie Gao has been executed.

He also praised the work of NSW Police.

"The work of our officers was so methodical and so dedicated ... There was just such a tremendous investigation.

"If you follow the evidence, this was a carefully planned and executed operation and poor old Jamie Gao was lured into the shed and simply executed, simple as that."