After a protracted legal battle spanning over a decade, Bessman Okafor was sentenced to death on Monday for the 2012 murder of Alex Zaldivar, in a case that has seen several twists and turns due to changing laws surrounding death penalty recommendations in Florida, WESH reported.
Okafor, who was out on bond at the time, killed 19-year-old Zaldivar to prevent him from testifying in a home invasion trial, his third sentencing trial concluded with a 9-3 jury decision in favor of recommending the death penalty despite previous requirements for a unanimous jury decision initially causing his sentence to be vacated, the report indicated; state laws have since changed eliminating the need for a unanimous verdict. During the sentencing, as per information from Channel 9, Okafor maintained a demeanor described as "smiling and chuckling" amidst the gravity of the moment.
"Mr. Okafor, you have not only forfeited your right to dwell by us as a free man but by your actions, you have also forfeited your right to live as well," Judge Lisa Munyon stated, as reported by WESH. The decision effectively reinstated Okafor's original 2015 death sentence, which had been disrupted by changing judicial interpretations over jury unanimity in death penalty cases.
Rafael Zaldivar, the victim's father, has been vocal about his desire for the completion of the legal process, saying in a statement, “He’s put a life sentence on our entire family, this guy, Bessman Okafor. A life sentence. We have to live with this forever. I want him executed, I want him euthanized,” and expressing a wish to be the last person Okafor sees "when it’s time." as reported by ClickOrlando. The fluctuating legal landscape has brought both families through an emotional gauntlet, from a vacated sentence to the possibility of future appeals, none of which have diminished Rafael Zaldivar's resolve for what he perceives as justice.
The case underlining Okafor's sentence has cast a long shadow on the legal system's handling of death penalty cases in Florida, where the Zaldivar family and others impacted by the case have weathered the vicissitudes of opaque legal shifts and the endured pain of a protracted justice process.
