Dec. 27
FLORIDA:
Man Could Face Death Penalty For Killing 91-Year-Old----91-Year-Old
Stomped To Death In Hollywood Home
In Fort Lauderdale, a Broward County judge must decide if a man should
live or die for a killing that shocked the city of Hollywood.
A jury has already said that it wants Gabby Tennis to die of lethal
injection for the stomping death of Albert Vessella, 91, in his Hollywood
home.
Tennis, now 21, was convicted of murder 2 years ago. Tennis' common-law
wife at the time testified against him in a plea deal. She said they went
to Vessella's home to rob him.
Tennis had originally told the court he wanted the death penalty, but on
Tuesday, Tennis pleaded with the judge to spare his life, NBC 6's Jaylene
Rodriguez reported.
"I don't want to die. I want to live. I don't want to die. Please, just
give me another chance. I'm sorry," Tennis said.
Tennis' family, who claimed their son received an unfair trial, also asked
the court to spare his life.
The judge did not make a decision on Tuesday, and will take the matter up
in February.
(source: NBC6 News)
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Man gets 3rd death sentence in Osceola County murder
In Kissimmee, a man convicted of a 1995 Osceola County murder over a
pickup truck was sentenced to death for the third time Tuesday.
The state Supreme Court had twice thrown out the death sentence given to
Jermaine LeBron, 31, for the murder of Larry Neal Oliver, 22, over
Oliver's customized pickup truck. He was found dead with a shotgun wound
to the back of the head.
The Supreme Court vacated LeBron's first death sentence in 2001 and
ordered a new penalty hearing because the trial judge overruled a jury's
verdict that LeBron had not fired the fatal shot but was guilty of felony
murder.
The next year, a 2nd jury recommended that LeBron be sentenced to death
and the trial judge agreed. But in a January 2005 opinion, the state's
high court said the judge erred by allowing the jury to hear details of a
previous robbery conviction. The court ordered another new penalty
hearing.
Prosecutor Jeff Ashton said he expected the sentence to stand this time,
the Orlando Sentinel reported. Defense attorney Bob Norgard said an appeal
would be automatic.
(source: Associated Press)
