Jurors to decide fate of killer in 2012 Miami Lakes love triangle murder – NBC 6 South Florida

A love triangle turned deadly when a man – from inside jail – ordered his girlfriend’s new partner to be killed — and now that man could be sentenced to death after jurors found him guilty of murder.

In April, jurors found Ysrael Granda guilty of first-degree murder in connection to the death of 42-year-old Jose Soto in Miami Lakes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you found this defendant guilty of first-degree murder, and that’s why we are here now. Now it’s about life or death,” Shawn Abuhoff, an Assistant State Attorney, told jurors, who now have the responsibility to recommend a punishment to the judge.  

Granda was already in jail when police stated he ordered his co-defendant Jonathan Rico to shoot and kill Soto.

Jurors found Rico guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, but not murder in the first degree. However after the acquittal on the murder charge, Rico avoided the death penalty and awaits his own sentencing.

For the next few days, prosecutors hope to convince eight out of 12 jurors that Granda, a man with two prior convictions, should get the death sentence.

However, defense attorneys will ask for mercy.

Granda’s attorneys claim their client came from a “dysfunctional” family and had a traumatic childhood.

“A person sentenced to life without parole will never ever be released again. That person will die in prison. So don’t think there is going to be any probation or good time or anything like that, “ said Bruce Fleisher, an attorney representing Granda.

The penalty phase continues Tuesday.