The debate over convicted killer Derrick Todd Lee’s life endedThursday night after an East Baton Rouge Parish jury recommended heto be put to death.
The courtroom was packed. More than 20 armed police officersstood guard as the jury filed back into the courtroom at 8:15 p.m.after an hour-and-a-half of deliberation.
The victims’ families, who filled more than three rows in thecenter of the courtroom, tightly held hands as the soft-spokencourt clerk read Lee’s fate for the death of LSU MBA graduateCharlotte Murray Pace.
Lee did not flinch when the statement was read.
The families gasped and someone let out a restrained yell.
Shortly after, Judge Richard Anderson scheduled Lee’s sentencingcourt date and several uniformed and plain clothed officersescorted Lee out of the courtroom.
But before guards could get Lee out of the room, he waved hisarm high and flashed a peace sign at his family. He tried to turnaround slightly, and shouted some quick remarks about God and theDNA evidence.
“They don’t want to tell you about that DNA they took eighttimes,” he shouted.
Lee also tried to say they planted the DNA on him, framing himfor the crime.
After the trial Lee’s lead attorney, public defender MikeMitchell, said he did not know what Lee was talking about. He alsosaid Lee is fine, and Lee and his counsel had been talking aboutthe possibility for this sentence for a long time.
Mitchell said Lee’s case has “a lot of grounds for appeal.”
Meanwhile, Pace’s mother Ann Pace walked out of the governmentalbuilding wearing a big button on her lapel of Lee with an AngolaPrison hat on.
As Pace approached the barrage of television cameras and brightlights, she smiled as she said it was not just her night, but allof Lee’s victims’ night.
She said Lee got every bit of justice the state could givehim.
Pace also was angered by the testimony of psychologist and LSUprofessor Drew Gouvier.
Gouvier testified Lee is mentally retarded Tuesday morning onthe defense’s behalf.
After interviewing Lee and his wife and sister, he said Lee hasintellectual and adaptive deficits. Gouvier also said IQ testssignify Lee’s IQ is 65 — five points below Louisiana’s mentallyretarded cutoff of 70.
Pace said four of Lee’s victims were affiliated with LSU, andshe was horrified that, as a University professor, Gouvier wouldtestify against the victims.
“That was a slap in the face to the four students,” Pacesaid.
When prosecutors faced the media after the penalty wasannounced, First Assistant District Attorney John Sinquefieldvictoriously raised the arms of his co-counsel Dana Cummings andDistrict Attorney investigator Mike Thompson.
“Tonight the South Louisiana serial killer got South Louisianajustice,” Sinquefield said. “And South Louisiana justice is a deathsentence.”