Yandamuri Jury Will Pick Up Penalty Deliberations on Tuesday
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A Montgomery County, Pa. jury could decide as early as tomorrow whether the Upper Merion man convicted of murdering a ten-month-old child and her grandmother in a botched kidnapping attempt will receive the death penalty or spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Today, the court was closed for Columbus Day. It reopens tomorrow.
The defense is expected to present one more witness, a psychologist, in an attempt to convince jurors that Raghu Yandamuri should receive a life sentence for killing Saanvi Venna and her grandmother.
At this point, Yandamuri's lawyer doesn't expect his client to take the stand to plead for his own life, but admits that could change. Attorney Henry Hilles says his client has already indicated to the judge that he wants to receive the death penalty.
"Ultimately, the law is the jury makes that decision," Hilles explains. "And I believe that even if he indicates to the jury that he wants the death penalty, I think this is the type of case where a jury may not give him exactly what he wants."
Prosecutors finished their case on Friday, with the baby's father breaking down in tears on the stand, telling jurors he sometimes can't sleep because he sees his mother's crime scene and his child's life.
The jury will weigh the mitigating and aggravating circumstances presented by both sides and determine a sentence.