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Deaf man given life term for two Louisville slayings | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
A Jefferson Circuit Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a deaf man to life in prison after he was convicted last month in two 2008 murders.
Judge Susan Schultz Gibson denied Jeston Murray’s motion for a mistrial and followed the jury’s recommendation that Murray serve a life sentence without parole for 25 years for the murder of Darrell Spencer during a robbery at a military surplus store in December 2008, and for the fatal stabbing of Marcus Penny about a week later at Penny’s apartment.
In December, Murray testified in his own defense, apologizing to the victims' families but asserting he was led astray by another man who was also convicted in the slayings.
In November 2009, Michael Knights pleaded guilty to murder, robbery, burglary and tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to life without parole for 25 years. Murray was tried and convicted for the same offenses.
On Wednesday, David Mejia, Murray’s attorney, maintained that his client was not a killer, but a follower who was present when the murders took place but did not participate.
“The other defendant committed both crimes,” he said.
Mejia asked for a mistrial because he said the two murders should have been tried separately by different juries, which will be the basis for his appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
But Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Van De Rostyne said Gibson was correct in allowing both murders to be tried together, noting that they involved the same witnesses and facts. Van De Rostyne said there is plenty of case law in similar instances where multiple murders have been tried at the same time and the prosecution was on “solid legal ground.”
Murray has said through a translator that he was unable to stop Knights and was scared to go to the police.
The prosecution and defense agreed during Murray's trial that both defendants were at G & K Shoe Co., the military surplus store at 639 W. Main St., when Spencer was killed by three hatchet blows, and at 3640 Manslick Road when Penny was fatally stabbed.
A Jefferson Circuit Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a deaf man to life in prison after he was convicted last month in two 2008 murders.
Judge Susan Schultz Gibson denied Jeston Murray’s motion for a mistrial and followed the jury’s recommendation that Murray serve a life sentence without parole for 25 years for the murder of Darrell Spencer during a robbery at a military surplus store in December 2008, and for the fatal stabbing of Marcus Penny about a week later at Penny’s apartment.
In December, Murray testified in his own defense, apologizing to the victims' families but asserting he was led astray by another man who was also convicted in the slayings.
In November 2009, Michael Knights pleaded guilty to murder, robbery, burglary and tampering with physical evidence and was sentenced to life without parole for 25 years. Murray was tried and convicted for the same offenses.
On Wednesday, David Mejia, Murray’s attorney, maintained that his client was not a killer, but a follower who was present when the murders took place but did not participate.
“The other defendant committed both crimes,” he said.
Mejia asked for a mistrial because he said the two murders should have been tried separately by different juries, which will be the basis for his appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
But Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Van De Rostyne said Gibson was correct in allowing both murders to be tried together, noting that they involved the same witnesses and facts. Van De Rostyne said there is plenty of case law in similar instances where multiple murders have been tried at the same time and the prosecution was on “solid legal ground.”
Murray has said through a translator that he was unable to stop Knights and was scared to go to the police.
The prosecution and defense agreed during Murray's trial that both defendants were at G & K Shoe Co., the military surplus store at 639 W. Main St., when Spencer was killed by three hatchet blows, and at 3640 Manslick Road when Penny was fatally stabbed.