the same jury that convicted John Couey of raping and sexually...

the same jury that convicted John Couey of raping and sexually battering Jessica Lunsford recommended 10-2 he should get the death penalty for the crimes. Couey, 48, was found guilty by the jury on all counts in the 9-year-old's death, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual battery and burglary. Police say that on March 18, 2005 Couey confessed to killing Jessica. Couey's lawyers argued that he is mentally retarded and that the 48-year-old white man has the mind of a child during testimony in the sentencing phase of the convicted killer's trial. Jessica Marie Lunsford was abducted from her home on February 23, 2005. Her body was found nearly a month later, buried within sight of her own home and behind the house where Couey was staying with a relative. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Richard Howard will decide whether to accept the jurors' sentence recommendation. He said he will issue his ruling in the next several weeks. Lunsford's killing prompted Florida and a number of other states to pass “Jessica's Laws”, new laws cracking down on sex offenders and to improve tracking of them through databases and satellite positioning devices. More than a dozen states have passed versions of Jessica's Law.