Why the Parkland gunman was spared the death penalty
The jury - which consisted of seven men and five women - did find there were aggravating factors which warranted the use of the death penalty.
During the course of the three-month sentencing trial, prosecutors sought to convince the jury that aggravating factors clearly applied in this case. "It was calculated. It was purposeful. And it was a systematic massacre," lead prosecutor Michael Satz said during his closing argument.But the three jurors who voted not to impose the death penalty did so because of mitigating circumstances that had been consistently argued by the defence.
The lead defence lawyer, Melisa McNeill, told the court: "He was doomed in the womb. And in a civilised society, do we kill brain damaged, mentally ill, broken people?"
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