Defiant Easton killer blames his lawyers before he’s sent away for life
Updated Apr 28, 2021;
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Instead he blamed his lawyers for botching his case.
“During this whole trial I think I was misrepresented by these two gentlemen here,” said the 40-year-old Easton man, referring to his attorneys, Brian Monahan and Matt Goodrich.
Northampton County President Judge Michael Koury imposed the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for Holmes. He added a consecutive 15- to 30-year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder.
Monahan said he stands by the jury verdict and noted he was able to convince some jurors not to sentence Holmes to death. The jury deadlocked on the question of death or life for Holmes. Under state law, a lack of a unanimous verdict means the killer is automatically sentenced to life in prison.
Jury split on death penalty means life term in 2009 slaying
December 22, 2020 GMT
EASTON, Pa. (AP) An eastern Pennsylvania man faces life in prison without possibility of parole after a jury deadlocked over whether he should be executed for what prosecutors called a revenge slaying more than a decade ago.
The Northampton County panel announced shortly after 8 p.m. Monday after more than three hours of deliberation that they were unable to reach a decision on the penalty to be imposed on 40-year-old Jacob Holmes Jr.
Jurors earlier deliberated for about four hours before convicting the Easton resident last week of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the death of 24-year-old Miguel Aponte. As a result of the penalty phase deadlock, prosecutors said, he will be sentenced Feb. 23 to the life term plus additional time on the conspiracy conviction.
Jury deadlocks on death penalty, Jacob Holmes Jr to serve life in prison delconewsnetwork.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from delconewsnetwork.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Life or death? Jury is now deliberating that question in Jacob Holmes homicide trial
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
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Defense attorney Brian Monahan cautioned jurors to think hard before carrying out that sentence, however.
“Your decision is a decision that will weigh heavily upon you for the rest of your life,” Monahan told each juror Monday afternoon.
Jurors started deliberating Monday in Holmes’ homicide trial. The jury convicted the 39-year-old Easton man last week of killing Miguel Aponte. Houck said the 2009 shooting in the Easton Café came in revenge for the shooting death of Holmes’ friend, Jason Oliver, in 2006.
Houck said factors that warrant the death penalty include the fact that Holmes committed a related felony. He was not licensed to carry a concealed weapon, the gun used to kill Aponte. He also put eight people at risk when he fired the six shots into Aponte.