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Convicted killer Peter Avsenew will represent himself next month when a jury is convened to determine whether he deserves to live or die. Avsenew, 38, was convicted last year of the murders of Kevin Powell, 47, and Stephen Adams, 52, a Wilton Manors couple who took him into their home during the holiday season in 2010 only to have him turn on them, steal their car and escape to his mother’s ...
The aggravating markets are just so overwhelming, the prosecution has a good chance of meeting its burden of beyond a reasonable doubt, just as it did in the guilt phase. >> and in either case, the appeals process kicks in? >> not only does the appeals process kick in, but it is even much more complicated in a death penalty case. you can expect death penalty appeals to last for decades. i mean, the statistics are that of all the people on federal death row, a tiny fraction of them are ever actually executed. i'm talking a handful in the last several decades, so you're just not going to see sta...
Two trials in one. the guilt phase and sentencing phase. the defense laid out part of defense claiming there was d.n.a. to others and there is no connection between the victims and the defendant. it is early, what do you make of the defense efforts at that point? bad facts make bad lawyers, is that their best hand, the victims didn't know the defendant? >> some of the testimony, some of the proceedings that have come to life, the defense said to the judge, this is not a fishing expedition. when the defense says this is not a fishing expedition, you can be sure it is a fishing expedition. they ...
Complicated part. >> and danny freeman joins me now from outside the federal courthouse in downtown pittsburgh. danny, you've done a wonderful job covering this emotional case, and it is not done. what happens next? >> reporter: john, as we look ahead to this death penalty phase, one of the things we're looking to is what kind of defense will be mounted. remember, the prosecution brought 60 witnesses to the stand during this guilt phase of the trial. the defense brought zero witnesses. the difference is this time the client's attorneys, the gunman's attorneys, they're fighting to spare his lif...
Mounted. remember, the prosecution brought 60 witnesses to the stand during this guilt phase of the trial. the defense brought zero to the defense. this time, the client's attorneys, the gunman's attorneys are fighting to spare his life. the jury is set to return now, june 26th. john? >> danny friedman, thank you very much. another community, this one in north texas, is hurting badly tonight. three people have lost their lives. last night of the program, we got first word and the first images of the tornado destruction in the town of perryton. today, it all became that much clearer and that mu...