Mississippi v. Luke Woodham
Woodham says he's "so sorry" as he is convicted again
HATTIESBURG, MISS., June 12 (Court TV) -- A jury took about five hours Friday evening to find Luke Woodham guilty of two murders in his second murder trial in as many weeks.
He already faces a life sentence after being convicted last week of killing his mother, and was given two more life sentences for his double conviction today in the deaths of his former girlfriend, Christina Menefee, and another Pearl, Mississippi high school student.
The jury also found him guilty of wounding seven other students, and he will receive an additional 20 years for each aggravated assault charge.
Shortly before the jury began to consider his fate, a sobbing Woodham returned to the stand Friday morning, apologizing to the families of victims he wounded and killed during his shooting spree last October.
"I am so sorry. I am so sorry," Woodham said, staring at the onlookers in the gallery. "I think everyone deserves to know what happened, especially those whose sisters and daughters were sent to school that day and they didn't come back...Nothing can justify the taking of those two lives."
Despite his apology, Woodham blamed his friend Grant Boyette for the shooting , saying that his influence inspired his actions. Boyette, the reputed leader of Woodham cult group "The Kroth," still faces a separate trial for murder conspiracy.
During cross-examination, Woodham conceded a few key points. He admitted to the prosecution that the main reason for his shooting rampage at Pearl High School was to get revenge on his girlfriend, Christina Menefee, for breaking up with him. When asked whether that motivation outshined Boyette's alleged influence over him, Woodham answered, "Yes." Woodham could not explain why he fired at the other students. With those admissions, the prosecution ended its cross-examination, and Woodham's defense rested.
Prosecutors closed their case by pointing out that Woodham himself admitted on the stand that he was more responsible for his motive in the shootings than the influence of Boyette. Woodham's lawyers told jurors to use common sense in their deliberations and to avoid being swept away by the heavy emotions that have pervaded the case.
Jurors began their deliberations just before 6:00 p.m. ET. Their verdict was delivered by about 11:00 p.m. ET.
Prosecutors also put two mental health experts on the stand during a brief rebuttal case to counteract the defense's claim that Woodham was insane at the time of the shooting. One forensic psychiatrist testified that Woodham likely had a personality disorder, but did not seem to suffer from any form of psychosis. Another psychologist also testified for prosecutors that during an exam of Woodham, the teenage boy appeared to have no psychotic tendencies, seemed coherent and had a high average intelligence.
Woodham's insanity defense may have been jeopardized not only by the testimony of the state psychiatrists, but by his own words, particularly his videotaped confession where he told police that he is not insane and was aware of his actions.
Court TV's Helen Lucaitis contributed to this report.
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