JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A jury found a Jacksonville man guilty of first-degree murder in the 2008 death of his neighbor.
Randall Deviney was convicted of Dolores Futrell's murder in 2010 and was sentenced to death, but the conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court, which found that police coerced Deviney's confession.
Deviney went on trial a second time, and a jury found him guilty on Friday. The state says it will ask for the death penalty. The sentencing phase is set for July 23.
According to the state attorney's office, Futrell called 911 when she discovered Deviney was trying to steal money from her purse. The 911 call was disconnected shortly thereafter.
Futrell ran to her backyard in an attempt to get away from Deviney, who was armed with a knife. The state attorney's office says Deviney then attacked the victim. During the struggle, the victim's throat was cut and she was stabbed numerous times. The victim fought for her life and managed to get the Deviney's DNA under her fingernails.
Futrell was found in her home with her clothes off and undergarments cut.
Futrell's family was in the courtroom for the entire trial and said they are pleased with the verdict and wanted people to remember this:
"She was a human being. That she loved people," said Debra Wright, the victim's sister. "She liked life and he enjoyed life. She didn't let her multiple sclerosis keep her down."
WJAX
