Dylann Roof, the man who murdered worshippers in a historically Black church in Charleston, SC, has been found guilty on all 33 charges he was facing. Now, it will be determined whether or not Roof gets the death penalty for his heinous crime.
Reports CNN:
In the next phase of the trial, scheduled to begin in January, jurors will weigh whether Roof, 22, should be sentenced to death or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Deliberations began Thursday afternoon in Roof’s murder trial after attorneys made closing arguments.
Shortly after deliberations started, the jury asked to again watch the video in which Roof confessed to two FBI agents. Specifically, the jury wanted to see the portion where Roof was unsure of how many people he had killed.
Roof, 22, a self-declared white supremacist, has admitted to last year’s killings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
“He needs to be held accountable for every bullet,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams told the jury, emphasizing what he said was the depth of Roof’s hatred.
“The parishioners could not have seen the hatred in his heart,” Williams said. “He sat and waited until they were at their most vulnerable.”
Family members of the victims sobbed as Williams spoke.
Should Roof’s life be spared and he spends the rest of his days rotting in prison? Or should he be given the death penalty? Is either scenarios really justice for those murdered?
Tell us what you think in the comments.
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Photo: AP
