USA - California. A jury sentenced Jawaun Deion Graham, 35, black, to death

A Riverside County jury sentenced Jawaun Deion Graham, 35, black, to death. Graham was convicted last July of carrying out the Jan. 22, 2006, attack that claimed the lives of Manuel Gomez, 24, and Joel Rio-Sosa, 26. In affirming the jury's recommendation, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Christian Thierbach rejected a motion by defense attorneys Richard Swanson and Christine Juneau to reduce the death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Graham's ex-girlfriend, Brenda Ardon, testified that he was provoked into shooting the victims. According to the witness, she and Graham were arguing when a vehicle approached fast from behind. Ardon alleged that the other car's occupants — all Hispanic men — shouted insults, including a number of racial slurs, calling Graham the “n” word and her a “bitch.” According to Ardon, Graham pulled a rifle from the back seat and told her to duck, at which point he fired 5 or 6 rounds at the other vehicle.