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NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been sentenced to death for killing his wife and five children.
The Naples Daily News reports that 41-year-old Mesac Damas was sentenced by a judge Friday after waiving his right to a jury and to have attorneys present mitigating evidence. He pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder last month.
Authorities say Damas cut the throats of his wife and children, ranging from 1 to 9 years old, at their North Naples apartment in 2009. He fled to Haiti but was arrested and returned to the U.S.
Damas' trial had been delayed by mental competency issues. His attorneys had argued that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a long history of mental illness that began during his childhood in Haiti.
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Information from: Naples (Fla.) Daily News, http://www.naplesnews.com
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