USA - Florida. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Richard M. Cooper's death sentence

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Richard M. Cooper's sentence, saying members of the jury that recommended the death sentence may have voted differently had they known the extent of the physical, emotional and psychological abuse Cooper suffered as a child. Cooper, 48, white, was convicted in the June 18, 1982, slayings of Steven Fridella, Bobby Martindale and Gary Petersen during a robbery gone awry. Circuit judges with the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, said in their 68-page decision released Thursday they believed there was a "reasonable probability" that jurors may not have voted for death had they heard from Cooper's brother and sister. In an earlier hearing, the siblings said their father beat Cooper with "boards, switches, belts, and horse whips." They also said they were never contacted by Cooper's attorneys and asked to testify on his behalf. The appeals court ordered the case be sent back to district court for resentencing.