02 February 2024 :
January 31, 2024 - Florida. Jury recommends death penalty for Bessman Okafor, 39, Black.
On Wednesday, an Orange County jury recommended 9 to 3 Bessman Okafor, who was found guilty in 2015 of killing a man in Orange County, be given the death penalty.
In his original trial, a jury sentenced Okafor to death for killing Alex Zaldivar, who was scheduled to testify against Okafor in the trial of a home invasion case the day after his murder in 2012.
That verdict was not unanimous. In 2016, The Florida Supreme Court vacated death sentences in cases that were not unanimous. Okafor was given a new sentencing phase of his trial with a new jury.
State law has now been changed to allow the death penalty by an 8-4 vote.
On the Okafor case see also HoC 01/09/2015, 17/11/2015, 08/06/2017.
