Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Pinkney Carter

On his 70th birthday, a jury recommended the death penalty for Pinkney "Chip" Carter, who was convicted of triple murder in 2002. Carter shot and killed his ex-fiancée Elizabeth Reed, her daughter Courtney Smith, and her boyfriend Glen Pafford in their home, after which he attempted to flee to Mexico. The recent resentencing was necessitated by changes in Florida's death penalty laws, requiring juror unanimity for death sentences, but Carter's case fell under earlier rules that allowed for a non-unanimous vote. In the latest jury deliberation, 10 jurors recommended death for one murder count, while 9 jurors recommended death for another count, indicating some division. Prosecutors argued that the murders were premeditated, stemming from Carter's jealousy over Reed's new relationship, while the defense claimed he acted impulsively and was under the influence of substances at the time. This is the second time a jury has debated Carter's fate, as he was originally sentenced to death in 2005.