Sooner in Tampa
3/15/2007, 05:30 AM
Jury Recommends Death For Couey (http://www.tbo.com/news/nationworld/MGBEYZ9OAZE.html)
After about an hour and 10 minutes of deliberation, they had come to a decision.
A third hearing is needed because the defense still argues that Couey is mentally retarded. Florida law prohibits executing the retarded.
Through much of the trial, Couey seemed distant and spent several hours scratching in coloring books with pencils.
George Kanaris owns Emily's Restaurant in Homosassa Springs, where Couey worked as a dishwasher for 2 1/2 years in the early 1990s.
"You want to see the real John Couey?" Kanaris asked rhetorically. "Give him a case of beer. You won't see him coloring in coloring books."
Since most of you probably don't know about John Couey, here is the what he did.
He walked into this little girls trailer and abducted he on Feb 24, 2005. He then raped her and buried her alive in a trash bag with a purple dolphin that her dad had recently won for her at fair.
Prosecutors contend that Couey walked into the Lunsfords' mobile home, 150 yards from where he lived, in a burglary attempt. He noticed Jessie and motioned for her to follow him. Back at his mobile home, Couey raped Jessie and told her to step into a black plastic trash bag, prosecutors said. He placed another bag over her head, prosecutors said, and buried her alive.
Five photographs of Jessie's body were entered into evidence Friday. The jury saw three of them.
Audience members in the courtroom were not permitted to see the photos. Per Florida law, members of the media were allowed to view them but forbidden to make reproductions.
The first depicted a square grave, dug 4 feet into the red dirt. Inside were the black garbage bags, obviously containing Jessie's remains.
The second and third photos showed the bags, one showing a close-up of two fingers caked in red mud protruding from the plastic.
The fourth photo, the most gruesome, showed Jessie lying in the fetal position, her face pressed into the purple stuffed dolphin she was clutching with her bound hands. Her legs and arms were black and blue with pooled blood.
The final picture showed a close-up of Jessie's hands bound with speaker wire. Her decaying skin looked like plastic.
As you can see, the only defense is that he is "retarded"...they played it up well, but it really doesn't seem like it will stick.
Hopefully the judge will take the jury's recommendation.
RIP Jessie.:(
http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/100038/2007/02/08/gallery/1568939.jpg
After about an hour and 10 minutes of deliberation, they had come to a decision.
A third hearing is needed because the defense still argues that Couey is mentally retarded. Florida law prohibits executing the retarded.
Through much of the trial, Couey seemed distant and spent several hours scratching in coloring books with pencils.
George Kanaris owns Emily's Restaurant in Homosassa Springs, where Couey worked as a dishwasher for 2 1/2 years in the early 1990s.
"You want to see the real John Couey?" Kanaris asked rhetorically. "Give him a case of beer. You won't see him coloring in coloring books."
Since most of you probably don't know about John Couey, here is the what he did.
He walked into this little girls trailer and abducted he on Feb 24, 2005. He then raped her and buried her alive in a trash bag with a purple dolphin that her dad had recently won for her at fair.
Prosecutors contend that Couey walked into the Lunsfords' mobile home, 150 yards from where he lived, in a burglary attempt. He noticed Jessie and motioned for her to follow him. Back at his mobile home, Couey raped Jessie and told her to step into a black plastic trash bag, prosecutors said. He placed another bag over her head, prosecutors said, and buried her alive.
Five photographs of Jessie's body were entered into evidence Friday. The jury saw three of them.
Audience members in the courtroom were not permitted to see the photos. Per Florida law, members of the media were allowed to view them but forbidden to make reproductions.
The first depicted a square grave, dug 4 feet into the red dirt. Inside were the black garbage bags, obviously containing Jessie's remains.
The second and third photos showed the bags, one showing a close-up of two fingers caked in red mud protruding from the plastic.
The fourth photo, the most gruesome, showed Jessie lying in the fetal position, her face pressed into the purple stuffed dolphin she was clutching with her bound hands. Her legs and arms were black and blue with pooled blood.
The final picture showed a close-up of Jessie's hands bound with speaker wire. Her decaying skin looked like plastic.
As you can see, the only defense is that he is "retarded"...they played it up well, but it really doesn't seem like it will stick.
Hopefully the judge will take the jury's recommendation.
RIP Jessie.:(
http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/100038/2007/02/08/gallery/1568939.jpg