Fate of man who killed tourists rests with judges

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Three appellate judges will determine the fate of Florida man who was convicted in the shooting deaths of two British tourists who were vacationing in Sarasota.
 
The Second District Court of Appeal heard arguments Wednesday on whether Shawn Tyson's first-degree murder convictions should be affirmed, overturned or taken back to trial. The Sarasota Herald Tribune reports no decision was announced Wednesday.
 
A jury in 2012 convicted Tyson in the deaths of James Cooper and James Kouzaris. Tyson, who was 16 at the time of the killings, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. He remains in the Sarasota County Jail and was not in court Wednesday.
 
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that a juvenile can't be legally given a mandatory life sentence.

WFTV