Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Death Sentence in Florida Murder > TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Lawrence Singleton, who was paroled > in California a decade ago for raping a teen-age > hitchhiker and chopping off her forearms, was sentenced > to death Tuesday for killing a prostitute in his Tampa > living room. > > ``This was an unprovoked, senseless killing of a human > being,'' said state Judge Bob Mitcham. ``We are living > in times worse than Sodom and Gomorrah.'' > > Jurors convicted Singleton, 70, of first-degree murder > for stabbing to death Roxanne Hayes, a 31-year-old > prostitute and mother of three. > > ``Roxanne Hayes fought for her life,'' Mitcham said. > ``She literally clawed for her life. She was acutely > aware of her impending death.'' > > Singleton's lawyers had said jurors recommended the > death penalty because Singleton had won parole in 1987 > in California after serving only eight years for raping > a 15-year-old girl in 1978. > > She testified during Singleton's penalty hearing. ``I > was raped and I had my hands cut off,'' Mary Vincent, > now 35, told jurors. ``He used a hatchet. He left me to > die.'' > > Speaking in Los Angeles after the sentencing, Ms. > Vincent said that although she does not believe in the > death penalty, she was relieved. > > ``I didn't want to play God and don't want anyone's > death on my hands. But I think there's a little bit of > relief. I think we can all put this behind us now,'' she > said. > > Ms. Hayes' longtime boyfriend, Clifford Tyson, the > father of two of her young children, told the judge last > month he has forgiven Singleton and also did not want to > see him executed. > > California communities refused to accept Singleton when > he was released, so he finished his parole for the > Vincent attack in a home on prison grounds. He then > returned to Tampa, where he had spent his childhood. > > Singleton was arrested here in February 1997 after a > house painter walked into his home and saw him attacking > Ms. Hayes, who was dead when police arrived. > > He denied raping and mutilating Ms. Vincent, but > admitted stabbing Ms. Hayes. ``I was framed the first > time. But this time I did it,'' he told reporters as he > was led from the jail after his arrest. > > During his trial, he testified that Ms. Hayes had > attacked him with a knife during an argument over money, > and he was trying to grab the weapon when the blade > plunged seven times into her body. > > Singleton, a retired merchant marine, apologized before > Mitcham last month. > > ``I'm sorry about the death in this case. I'll have to > carry it on my conscience the rest of my life,'' he > said. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
