TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida jury has spared the life of a man convicted in the execution-style slaying of a Florida State University law professor.
Sigfredo Garcia instead faces life in prison for his role in the killing of law professor Dan Markel, who was gunned down in his Tallahassee garage five years ago.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Garcia. They say he conspired with his former girlfriend and another man who is serving seven years in prison for second-degree murder after agreeing to testify against the Garcia and the woman.
The jury needed 30 minutes to reach a decision.
Last week, the same jury deadlocked on a verdict for the woman, Katherine Magbanua, who prosecutors also accused of first-degree murder, saying she was a lynchpin for the murder-for-hire scheme.