WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has avoided the death penalty for his part in a fatal robbery.
News outlets report that jurors didn’t unanimously agree Tuesday on execution for 24-year-old Jefty Joseph, meaning he’ll automatically receive life in prison. He was convicted last month of first-degree murder, robbery and kidnapping.
Authorities say Joseph, 23-year-old Ilmart Christophe and 24-year-old Koral Benshimon lured 31-year-old Gustavo Falsetti Cabral to a Pompano Beach hotel room in December 2013 with promises of sex from an online ad. Prosecutors say Cabral spent his final hours begging for his life before he was shot.
Benshimon, who posed as the escort, was sentenced to 10 years last fall for her part in the robbery. Christophe is still awaiting trial.