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Did Henry Segura kill his girlfriend and her children? A jury in Leon County, Florida must decide. Deliberations continue Wednesday. The defendant is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his Brandi Peters, their 3-year-old son JaVante Segura, and her twin 6-year-old daughters who were not his, Tamiyah and Taniyah Peters.
Prosecutors claim Segura committed the murders because he owed thousands in child support payments. He beat and shot Brandi, shot Tamiyah, and drowned Taniyah and JaVante, they say. All four victims were discovered on Nov. 20, 2010 at their home in Tallahassee, Florida.
#SeguraTrial – Henry Segura faces the death penalty if convicted of murdering Brandi Peters and her children. pic.twitter.com/XJbBUvogm2
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The defense, on the other hand, claim that authorities got the wrong guy. They say other people’s DNA were found at the scene, including that of possible suspect Angel Avila-Quinones. They argue that the state’s suggested motive is weak since Segura had already gone through child support problems with another girlfriend, and he didn’t become violent in that situation. Also, testimony from Peters’ neighbors undermined prosecutors’ timeline of the murders, the defense says.
Deliberations began Tuesday. If the jury decides to convict, the case could move to a penalty phase as early as Thursday. Segura could face the death penalty.
Stay with LawNewz.com and the LawNewz Network for continuing coverage of the case.
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