Jury returns death sentence for man who killed 83-year-old Orange County woman

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County jury handed down the death penalty Friday to a man who killed an 83-year-old woman.

The jury started its deliberations after closing arguments wrapped in the sentencing hearing of Juan Rosario, who killed Elena Ortega.

The jury returned its decision just after 11:15 p.m. Friday night.

The defense wanted the jury to consider whether Rosario’s PTSD left him unable to realize killing someone was a crime.

The jury unanimously decided that he knew what he was doing when he killed Ortega.

Death penalty cases have pages and pages of instructions for the jury on how they decide if a convicted killer should die for his crime.

All those instructions had to be hammered out before the jury can proceed.

Rosario was found guilty last month of beating , 83, almost to death and then burning down her home, which is what killed her.

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Investigators said he did it so he could steal her money.

Read: Death penalty recommendation must be unanimous, Florida Supreme Court rules

Cox Media Group