|
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Arguments concluded Wednesday in the penalty phase of a man convicted of kidnapping and killing 5-year-old Samantha Runnion, giving a jury the choice of whether to recommend the death penalty — or life in prison without parole.
The case was turned over to jurors after an afternoon of arguments during which a prosecutor showed photos of the little girl, projected on a large screen, to underscore the "horrendous" nature of the crime — and the defense appealed for mercy for Alejandro Avila due to the lingering psychological scars from a childhood of abuse.
"I'm just asking for enough mercy for him to live his life out in a small cell in a very hostile prison environment," defense attorney Denise Gragg told jurors.
|