CLEVELAND (AP) — A jury has recommended that a man who represented himself at trial be sentenced to death for the slayings of a couple at a Cleveland used car lot.
The jury in Cleveland deliberated less than an hour before reaching its decision Thursday. Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) County Judge Brian Corrigan will announce Tuesday whether he’ll sentence 32-year-old Joseph McAlpin to death or to life in prison.
McAlpin was found guilty by the same jury last month of aggravated murder and other charges in the April 2017 slayings of Trina Tomola and Michael Kuznik.
Prosecutors say McAlpin fatally shot the couple and their dog and stole a car.
Cleveland.com reports McAlpin maintained his innocence and said he didn’t want his family to become props in a circus during his closing arguments Thursday.