John Couey Sentencing Phase Underway

Jessica Lunsford's killer deserves the death penalty for taking the 9-year-old from her bedroom in the middle of the night, raping her, covering her in garbage bags, then leaving her to die in a dirt hole in his backyard, prosecutors argued Tuesday.

The same jury that last week found convicted sex offender John Evander Couey guilty of abducting, raping and murdering Jessica must now decide whether he should be executed for the crime. He faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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But Couey's lawyers, in arguing for life in prison, said that a "perfect storm" of circumstances — including his alleged reduced mental state and a harsh childhood full of abuse, neglect and poverty — made Couey what he is today and that he's not completely at fault. His cries for help were ignored throughout the years, and he was spurned by most around him, his lawyers maintained.

"He lived a life you wouldn't want for yourself or anyone you know," said defense attorney Alan Fanter, who added that Couey's IQ today is only 64. "As John's body got older, his mind didn't. He's sitting here, 48 years old, with the mind of a child."

An IQ level of 70 is generally considered retarded.

Florida law and a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibit execution of retarded people.

Isn't it funny that no one heard a word about Mr. Couey's IQ before the trial. Isn't it funny how child molesting creeps never step up and face the music?

He's a retard alright. But only for trying to convince us that he is not responsible for killing Jessica because he was poor, neglected, and abused as a child. If every person who thought they were poor, neglected and abused got away with murder we'd be missing half the people in the world today.

Weird coincidence today, that the suspect in the Christopher Barrios disappearence is also retarded and lives in a trailer park. Maybe they had the same poor, neglected, abused childhood?