USA - Florida. A jury recommended death for Paul Beasley Johnson, 63, white

A Polk County jury recommended death for Paul Beasley Johnson, 63, white, for killing 3 men. The jury voted 11 to 1 on each of the 3 counts for the death penalty. According to court records, Johnson kidnapped, robbed and shot William Evans, a taxi driver, on Jan. 8, 1981, and Deputy Sheriff T.A. Burnham and Darryl Beasley on Jan. 9. Johnson had been sentenced to death twice previously (in 1981 and 1988), but both sentences were overturned. In the most recent ruling (see January 14, 2010), the Florida Supreme Court mandated a new sentencing hearing after finding that a jailhouse informant admitted to lying during Johnson's murder trial. Johnson's lawyers argued that brain damage from years of drug abuse left Johnson nearly powerless to control his emotions the night he murdered 3 Polk County men in January 1981, including Polk County Sheriff's Deputy T.A. Burnham. The jury's decision is a recommendation. Circuit Judge Donald Jacobsen will make the final decision.