Lee receives death sentence in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- A Louisiana man already sentenced to life in one murder case is now facing the death penalty for a second slaying in Baton Rouge.

Derrick Todd Lee shouted about a DNA conspiracy after a jury imposed the death sentence Thursday night at Baton Rouge, the Advocate reported. The jury took an hour and 33 minutes to reach the sentencing decision.

Lee, 35, was convicted Tuesday of killing Charlotte Murray Pace two years ago. In August, he was convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying of Geralyn DeSoto and sentenced to life. Police have accused him in four other slayings.

Jury foreman Ronald Venable said jurors had no doubt about Lee's guilt.

In his closing argument, prosecutor John Sinquefield said Lee is a serial killer who tried to hide behind the mental-retardation exemption to avoid the penalty.

Defense attorney Mike Mitchell said there will be an appeal on several grounds. He argued against the death penalty because he said Lee is mentally retarded.

Police used DNA testing to link Lee to some of the Baton Rouge-area slayings.