Defense wraps in Devega death penalty phase
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A life or death decision is fast approaching for the Wake County jury that convicted a Raleigh man Monday of murder in a 2008 crime spree.
The defense wrapped up its case in the death penalty phase of 32-year-old Armond Devega's trial Wednesday morning.
During a robbery, Devega shot convenience store clerk Stephanie Anderson to death because she couldn't open a safe.
Devega's defense spent two days trying to convince the jury that he deserves life in prison and not death. It called a witness Wednesday to testify about how hard life behind bars is.
James Aiken - a former prison warden turned consultant - told jurors that sentencing Devega to life in prison without parole would be a horrible punishment. He said Devega wouldn't be afforded the protections he would have on death row.
"You don't move. The world passes you by and you are reduced to the lowest common denominator. And you have to live around a younger, more disruptive, predator inmate population and you get older. It is not easy. It is very dangerous," Aiken explained.
On cross examination, a prosecutor pointed out that Devega will still have access to many privileges including TV, books, and family visits.
Their final witness was a prosecution psychologist who tried to debunk defense psychological experts who claim Devega's brain was damaged during beatings by his father.
Mark Hazelrigg told jurors that, while Devega is anti-social, he doesn't have a serious mental disorder.
On Monday, the same jury found Devega guilty of killing Anderson, but not guilty of shooting 32-year-old Anthony Dwayne Scarborough to death in February 2008.
He was also found guilty of attempted first-degree murder in a third shooting and guilty of six counts of armed robbery in holdups between January and October of 2008.
Jurors will return at 10:30 a.m. Thursday to begin hearing closing arguments.
It was been almost seven years since a Wake County jury has handed down a death sentence.
