Barry County Prosecuting Attorney Johnnie Cox listed three "aggravating reasons" for seeking the death penalty for David Wesley Spears and Chris Collings, who are charged with murdering nine-year-old Rowan Ford of Stella:
In his notice of intent to seek death penalties against Spears and Collings, Cox cited three aggravating factors in the murder, any one of which a jury and judge could use to impose a death penalty. The factors, listed in state law, are:
-- "The murder in the first degree was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture, or depravity of mind;"
--"The murder in the first degree was committed while the defendant was engaged in the perpetration or was aiding or encouraging another person to perpetrate or attempt to perpetrate a felony of any degree of rape . . . "
-- "The murdered individual was a witness or potential witness in any past or pending investigation or past or pending prosecution, and was killed as a result of his status as a witness or potential witness."
(KY3 photo)
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