A federal jury ended deliberations Monday with a question but no verdict as to whether Ricardo Sanchez, Jr. and Daniel Troya should face life in prison or the death sentence for the 2006 murders of Jose Luis Escobedo and his family.

The jurors asked U.S. Senior District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley to clear up confusion about the verdict form he and attorneys in the case gave them before they began their deliberations Thursday.

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

During discussions between Hurley and attorneys outside the presence of the jury, Troya's attorney James Eisenberg renewed his objection to the fact that Hurley had only informed jurors of three possible options for their deliberations - unanimous decision for a life sentence, unanimous for a death sentence, or a unanimous decision to let Hurley decide the sentence.

The third option is a life sentence by default because life is the maximum sentence Hurley is authorized to impose under those circumstances.

Eisenberg during a hearing more than two weeks ago asked Hurley to also inform jurors that the burden of sentencing would also fall to him if they could not reach a unanimous decision. Hurley ultimately declined and reiterated his decision Monday in court.

"I'm not getting into any issue about a hung jury here," Hurley told Eisenberg.

Prosecutors say Sanchez and Troya killed Escobedo, a cocaine supplier for their drug organization, to steal cocaine and to clear a debt owed to him by their boss, Danny Varela. Jurors also convicted the men in the deaths of Escobedo's wife Yessica, and their 3 and 4-year-old sons Luis Damian and Luis Julian.

Varela was not charged in the deaths but will likely spend the rest of his life in prison based on convictions on related drug charges for which the jury convicted him, Sanchez, Troya, and Liana Lee Lopez earlier this month.

The jury will continue deliberations today.

Tags: Turnpike, turnpike escobedo

This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 7:19 pm and is filed under 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.