WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) - Jurors are expected to begin deliberations Thursday on whether a western Pennsylvania man convicted of killing his estranged girlfriend should be sentenced to death or to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Jurors in Washington County took just 75 minutes Monday to convict 26-year-old Jordan Clemons of Pittsburgh of first-degree murder in the January 2012 slaying of 21-year-old Karissa Kunco in Mount Pleasant Township.
Jurors heard testimony during the penalty phase that Clemons grew up in an abusive environment, and his lawyer also cited drug abuse, prior brain injuries and an older brother’s death as mitigating factors.
Prosecutors cited a protection from abuse order obtained by the victim as well as the defendant’s previous criminal history.
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