[div id="article"][font style="font-family: Verdana;" size="2"]Sorry, but I say "kill him". Being "too drugged up" to know what you're doing isn't an excuse in this case. I don't give a shit if he was dosed to the eyeballs, this piece of crap should die. I'm not a big fan of the death penalty, but sometimes......
[/font][hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]Florida girl's killer asks for mercy, lifeReuters
Tuesday, February 14, 2006; 12:39 PM[/p][div id="article_body"]SARASOTA,Florida (Reuters) - A man convicted of murdering an 11-year-old Floridagirl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera asked ajudge on Tuesday to spare his life and said he was too drugged toremember details of the crime.[/p]Joseph Smith was convicted inNovember of raping and murdering Carlie Brucia. The jury recommendedSmith's execution by a 10-2 vote but the decision on whether he getsthe death penalty or life in prison is up to the trial judge, CircuitJudge Andrew Owens.[/p][table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="238"][tbody][tr][td width="10"]
[/td][td width="228"][script src="vny!://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technorati/Technorati.js"][/script][script]var technorati = new Technorati() ;technorati.setProperty('url','vny!://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400911_Technorati.html') ;technorati.article = new item('Florida girl\'s killer asks for mercy, life','vny!://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400911.html','SARASOTA, Florida (Reuters) - A man convicted of murdering an 11-year-old Florida girl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera asked a judge on Tuesday to spare his life and said he was too drugged to remember details of the crime.','') ;[/script][script src="vny!://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400911_Technorati.js"][/script][script]document.write( technorati.getDisplaySidebar() );[/script][!-- delicious --]
[/td][/tr][/tbody][/table]Brucia disappeared on February 1, 2004,while walking home from a friend's house. The case gained nationalattention because a surveillance camera at a car wash recorded a mancoming toward Brucia and leading her away. The videotape was widelytelevised and several people recognized Smith as the abductor.[/p]Brucia's half-naked body was found in a churchyard and police said she had been strangled.[/p]"I'm truly sorry for my actions," Smith told Owens at a sentencing hearing.[/p]Smith,39, acknowledged his guilt as he spoke publicly about the murder forthe first time. He said he was addicted to drugs and had been usingcocaine and heroin on the day he killed Brucia.[/p]"I really don't remember much of that day," he said. "I only hope I will be an example of what drugs can do to you."[/p]Smith cried and said he was afraid of how his death would affect his young daughters and his mother.[/p]"I don't ask for mercy for myself, but for my family," he said.[/p]ProsecutorDebra Riva said Smith deserved to be executed. "None of that (Smith'sdrug problems) outweigh the horrible crime he committed against CarlieBrucia," he said.[/p]On Monday, Riva read a statement from Brucia'smother, Susan Schorpen, saying Carlie's murder had destroyed herfamily. Schorpen could not attend because she has been jailed sincelast month on drug possession and prostitution charges.[/p]"I have self-medicated myself to stop feeling, to numb the pain," Schorpen said in her statement.[/p]The judge is scheduled to announce Smith's sentence on March 15.[/p][/div][/div]
