Family slain

Jose and Yessica Escobedo with sons Luis Julian (left) and Luis Damian (right). Husband, wife and two children from Greenacres found shot to death off Florida’s Turnpike in northern Port St. Lucie. More news, photos

A federal jury will continue deliberations tomorrow in deciding whether Ricardo Sanchez Jr. and Daniel Troya will spend the rest of their lives in prison or be put to death for the 2006 drug-related murders of Jose Luis Escobedo and his family on Florida’s Turnpike.

The 12-member panel began deliberations in the case early this afternoon, ending a nearly two-week hearing where attorneys for the men tried to get them to opt for life sentences for Escobedo, his wife, Yessica, and their 3- and 4-year-old sons Luis Damian and Luis Julian. Prosecutors say Escobedo was a drug supplier to Sanchez and Troya’s boss, Danny Varela, and the pair killed the man and his family to steal the cocaine he was carrying and relieve Varela from a debt.

If jurors in the case cannot come to a unanimous decision on life or death in the case, then sentencing will fall to U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley, who will by law be authorized to impose a sentence no harsher than life in prison.

Tags: Escobedo, familyslain, murders, Turnpike

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Courts, Crime, Escobedo trial, Stuart. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.