Defense Is Next In U.S. Death-Penalty Case
Lawyers for a convicted killer will begin presenting their case against the death penalty for the slaying of an armored-truck employee in suburban Detroit.
Timothy O'Reilly's defense team will try to persuade a jury in Detroit to choose a life sentence. The government rested Tuesday after emotional testimony from relatives of Norman "Anthony" Stephens, who was fatally shot at Dearborn Federal Credit Union in 2001. Stephens' widow Robyn told jurors she was "devastated" when she learned about his death.
The 37-year-old O'Reilly was convicted last week. The death penalty isn't available in Michigan courts but is an option for murders prosecuted in federal court.
O'Reilly's lawyers will present evidence of a troubled childhood and a brain abnormality.
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