PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A man sentenced to death in the shooting death of a Philadelphia convenience store manager during a robbery more than a decade and a half ago has been resentenced to life in prison.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the life term was imposed Wednesday on 36-year-old Christopher Kennedy after the Philadelphia district attorney’s office said it would no longer pursue the death penalty.
Kennedy was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery and weapons offenses in the January 2003 slaying of 35-year-old Michael Richardson at the Rite Aid store.
He was awarded a new penalty-phase hearing Monday after his attorney cited a prosecutor’s reference to a biblical passage and jury instructions that the defense said likely precluded consideration of mitigating evidence.
Prosecutors said the victim’s family was notified about the decision.
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com
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