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Jun 22, 2009 5:17 pm US/Central
Killer Gets 2nd Chance At Life In Prison Or Death
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Mark Robertson
Dallas Co. Jail
A man, who was sentenced to death for killing two people, 20 years ago, is getting a second chance in court.
Mark Robertson was 21-years-old when he shot and killed Edna Brau, 81, and her 19-year-old grandson Sean Hill, in their Preston Hollow home back in 1989.
A jury convicted Robertson of murder and sentenced him to death. Robertson, who is now 41, isn't appealing the conviction, only the sentence.
Robertson's lawyers argued the original jury didn't receive the proper instructions on how to consider Robertson's drug use and past discretions.
"Our horrific childhood… I wouldn't wish that on anybody," said Robertson's sister, Denise Breedlove, who was present in court Monday. "We had a horrific life and when he was left alone, when we all left, you feel the responsibility… as a sister, I do anyway."
A new jury will now decide whether Robertson should go back to death row or spend the rest of his life in prison.
During the first day of testimony, jurors heard from Christina Head, whose mother and son were the murder victims. She discovered her mother, Edna Brau's, body after the killings. "I saw my mother on the sofa, with her feet propped up on the coffee table and she was covered up," explained Head. "Her feet were grey and you could smell the death."
Later that same day, police found the body of Sean Hill in the creek outside the home.
Authorities said after shooting Brau and her grandson, who was a friend of Robertson, he took some money from her purse and stole her blue Cadillac, which was found eight days later at a Las Vegas casino. When Robertson showed up at the car, he was arrested and immediately confessed to officers.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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