Jurors have heard an emotional plea from the mother of a Jamaican man facing a possible death penalty in the stabbing murders of a Pennsylvania woman and her 16-year-old daughter.
The Lancaster County jury convicted 40-year-old Leeton Thomas of first-degree murder Tuesday in the June 2015 slayings of 44-year-old Lisa Sheetz and her daughter Hailey. Authorities said they were scheduled to testify against him in a child s*x assault case.
LNP newspaper said jurors hearing testimony Wednesday on whether Thomas should be sentenced to death or life in prison without possibility of parole heard the defendant’s mother beg them to spare her son’s life, saying “please save him”.
Defence attorneys also plan to cite mitigating factors such as poverty and abuse they say Thomas endured growing up in Jamaica.
Thomas, who had permanent resident status in the United States, is a former construction worker and home remodeler. He turned 40 on Tuesday.
Lancaster County prosecutors earlier said they would seek capital punishment against him.
First Assistant District Attorney Christopher Larsen said Thomas broke into the basement apartment intent on getting rid of witnesses who were to testify against him at a court hearing in two weeks.
… He went in there thinking he could wipe them all out.”
Prosecutors cited DNA evidence and eyewitness testimony from a then15-year-old daughter, who survived multiple stab wounds and told rescuers that Thomas, once a family friend, was the killer.
Jurors, who deliberated for about 2½ hours following closing arguments Tuesday, also convicted Thomas of attempted homicide of the surviving daughter, now 17, and of burglary.
Defence attorney Douglas Conrad cited discrepancies in testimony and physical evidence. He also suggested that a neighbour of the victims might be responsible.
The defendant’s wife testified that he went to bed with her that night and woke up when police came four hours later.
A state police investigator testified Monday that Thomas asked to be shot in the head after being charged, LNP newspaper reported.
Here is the real issue, WE Jamaicans think we can do the same thing in the USA or any forrin country what we do HOME/Jamaica and get away with it, You do a crime and go kill the witnesses, KILL THE BASTARD AND MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF HIM! This entitlement mentality needs to stop, other country people come here and make use of the opportunity, we have to come and scam, teef, be murderers, drug dealers, not to mention the amount of Jamaicans who is running from child support in this country, and for the dirty mumma, give her the death penalty as well and include the wife who says he was in bed with her, look at his pedophile face to nuh, old jancrow, You think this is Jamaica? Burn in HELL.
As a mom I understand somewhat, but dah man fi dead waste of space – commit a most atrocious crime and try to cover it up with another..off wid him head, hands and penis.. wicked piece a crap