This Florida man may have escaped a death penalty verdict even as he pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder and attempted first-degree premeditated murder of his two daughters. How did he get off the hook? We’ll be giving you all the scoops and more in this read.
Keep reading for the details.
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Juan Bravo-Torres
Juan Bravo-Torres, accused of killing his three-year-old daughter and slashing the throat of his 12 year-old-daughter who played dead to survive her father’s wrath, is heading to prison to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Pleading Guilty
He pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges and faced his sentence on Wednesday, January 11, afternoon. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Torres’s Excuse
The 39-year-old claimed he acted out because he felt his family was falling apart. According to his attorney Jeff Dowdy, the mother of his children wanted another family, and he was jealous of their children being with another man as their father.
Attempting To Take His Own Life
Upon hearing that his wife was seeing someone else, Torres revealed he was going to first kill himself.
The Tragic Evening Began Weirdly
Dowdy revealed the evening of the murder started very differently, as Torres was in the bathroom slashing his wrists, and when his daughter, Eva, walked in on him, he slashed her throat and then did the same for the other girl’s throat.
Entering A Guilty Plea
In a bit to avert a death sentence, while preparing a case for the trial, Torres’s attorneys contacted prosecutors, putting a guilty plea offer to First Degree mother on the table in exchange for the state dropping the death penalty and accepting life in prison sentence without grace for parole.
Alina And Her Mom Accepted The Plea Offer
In a statement by Torres’s attorney, they discussed the plea offer with Alina and her mom, who stated that it was their desire for the state to accept the plea offer and not pursue the death penalty.
Prosecutors Agreed Alina Would Be Burdened By Testifying
Even though Alina’s testimony was unavoidable due to her being the sole witness to the attack, the prosecutors agreed with the mom and attorneys that testifying would be too much of a burden for a 12-year-old child who almost lost her life.
Alina’s Account
The 12-year-old’s account was slightly different from Torres’ via his attorney. Alina stated her dad charged at her with a knife, and she fought back, playing dead with hopes that he would rethink his attack on her.
Torres Dragged Her Into The Bathroom
She continued that her father dragged her and her sister into the hall bathroom even after she played dead. He then turned off the bathroom lights, and then she saw him cut his wrist and proceeded to cut his throat.
After he passed out, Alina said she took a knife and made her way to McDonald’s, where her mom worked.
Torres Was Found Alive
The 39-year-old was found alive on the bathroom floor with severe injuries alongside his dead daughter, Eva.
Attorney Phil Archer
Following Torres’s court appearance, Phil Archer, a state attorney, stated he believed that Torres’s “horrific, calculated and premeditated actions in the killing of Eva are deserving of asking the jury to impose the death penalty.”
Waiving The Death Penalty
Archer and his partners supported the resolution and filed a motion to waive the death penalty for a guilty plea and life sentence.
Final Word From Archer
He added that the authorities will “vigorously contest any effort to seek parole, pardon or release Torres before his death in state correctional facility, should it ever come up.”
