WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A Polk County man was convicted of killing his 3-year-old daughter and her mother.
A jury in Polk County found Lester Ross, 37, guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and aggravated manslaughter. He faces life in prison or the death penalty.
Authorities discovered the bodies of Ross' daughter, MaSarah Ross, and the girl's mother, Ronkeya Holmes, buried in a Winter Haven orange grove in December 2010.
Ross was arrested about two years later, following an intense investigation.
Police said MaSarah died in 2009 while with Ross, who kept her body in a freezer for months, until Holmes arrived to check on the girl. Police said Ross poisoned Holmes and buried the woman with MaSarah.
Ross' ex-wife, Sharon Evans, testified that she drove Ross to bury the bodies because she feared her husband would kill her if she talked to police.
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Man indicted in deaths of 2 found in orange grove