ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A convicted killer who was sentenced to the death penalty for killing a 16-year-old boy in Orange County in 2004 was resentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
After the courts ruled the death penalty must be unanimous, Derrick McLean got a second chance.
One of the aggravating factors prosecutors believed had been proven was that the murder was cold, calculated and premeditated. But the jury members ruled that they didn't think it was.
Prosecutors showed McLean was already on probation for an armed robbery when he shot and killed 16-year-old Jahvon Thompson during a home invasion robbery.
The defense told jurors McLean had a rough childhood and a problem with his brain, and told jurors they didn’t have to vote for death.
At least one of them didn’t.
Last time the verdict was 9-3 in favor of death. This time it had to be unanimous for death, but since it wasn’t, McLean was sentenced to life in prison shortly after the verdict was read.
Jury has reached a verdict in death penalty re-sentencing of convicted murderer Derrick McLean. Jury found aggravating factors in the case do not warrant death. So McLean will get life in prison for murder of 16-year-old Jahvon Thompson #WFTV pic.twitter.com/Kz9Y99kVlJ
— Jeff Deal (@JDealWFTV) December 11, 2019
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