Published: March 06, 2006 06:28 pm      

UPDATE: Camm jury recommends life

Jurors recommend life without parole in Camm murder case

BOONVILLE, 5:35 P.M., EST < Moments ago, the jury in David Camm's triple-murder trial recommended the former Indiana State Trooper spend the rest of his life in prison without parole -- a harsher sentence than was handed down after his 2002 conviction.

The jury made the decision after deliberating nearly four hours.

In order to recommend life without parole, Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson had to convince jurors there were aggravating circumstances in the murders.

Following Friday's guilty verdict, Henderson had said that shouldn't be difficult to do considering that two of the victims were under age 12 and there were multiple victims killed.

Camm, 41, was charged in 2000 with the shooting deaths of his wife, Kim, and children, 7-year-old Brad and 5-year-old Jill. He was convicted on the charges in 2002, but that decision was reversed by a state appellate court that found Camm hadn't received a fair trial the first time.

Judge Robert Aylsworth will officially impose the sentence on March 28.

The jury could have left the sentencing decision to the judge, who could have issued a term of 45 to 195 years or life without parole.

There was no reaction from either side of the courtroom when the recommendation was announced.

After the jury was ushered out, lead defense attorney Katharine "Kitty" Liell told Don Camm, David's 74-year-old father, "You stay with us. We have a great appeal. I'm certain. Hold on to that."

Following the hearing, Henderson said, "I think the jury sent out a second message today: Our decision was right the first time." Henderson was referring to a comment Liell made to the jury earlier today indicating they had a made a mistake in their guilty verdict, which was announced Friday night.

The media is currently awaiting to see if jurors will return to the courtroom, as approved by Aylsworth, for a press conference. It's up to each juror to decide if they would like to speak with the media.