UPDATE:

A jury on March 7 found John Couey guilty of the kidnapping, murder and rape of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in 2005. The judge told jurors not to talk to the media until the next week.

Join the post-verdict discussion here.

Special Report: Jessica Lunsford
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My response is quick…
Bury him alive as he did when he robbed this young girl of her life. :et this be his last experience.
We have wasted too much time and resource on this (fill in the blank).

Gee now he’s retarded, he wasn’t retarded when he thought up kidnapping and raping and drugging this poor innoncent child, not to mention burying her alive this man whether under the influence of drugs or not deserves the death penalty, and if our judicial system lets him go then it would be a very sad day in our courts , our society, and all of mankind to know that a man can commit such crimes an just get life in prison.

It to this day blows my mind that these type of crimes happen.  If we started giving all of these people the death penalty without the option to just sit in prison the rest of thir lives maybe some would think twice before commiting the act.  The fact the they are trying to spare his life beacuse he could be retarded is unreal.  Jessicas state of mind didnt matter when he chose to kill her so his shouldn’t be considered either!

I do have a question - was Couey present during the questioning of the two guards?  If so - were you able to see his expression or notice him reacting in any way to what they were saying?  Thanks for the ongoing coverage!!

In fact, to be “mentally retarded” Couey will have to perform at a low IQ on testing AND show that he cannot function in the world.  He has clearly shown that he is functional - even if it is as a piece of human garbage.  A competent psychologist should disallow the MR defense.

And why can’t I ever get on a jury for a case like this?

The system this courts and judges have really SUCKS.....Everytime someone commits this kind of violance or rape,crime, they always come out and say that is a Mental problem or that he or she is mentally retarded.
When they commit the crime they are very concious of what they are doing. but time to get on the witness stand it all changes. That is why we have so many sexual predators on the street they serve time and back on the street they go and commit the same crime killing innocent victims.
You have a father that lost everything he had in his life his precious daughter Jessica, to a sick WACKO on the street....
They need to hang this guy by his b_ _ _ _s, then buried him ALIVE.

He’s retarded? Is that relevant and if so how? How many fully cognizant, high IQ people perpetrate the acts he has?  His whole life was not is not worth one thousandth of all the money spent bringing this case to trial. Let’s see if we can suggest a just way to end all this, oh I have it – bury him in the sand at the waterline up to his neck at low tide and let nature take its course. Now, will he feel even the smallest fraction of the terror and pain that poor innocent little girl felt? Not even close but it would be about the closest as we could come to exacting justice. But alas we will not, countless more funds will be wasted on this animal and maybe, just maybe, at the end of it all we will stick a needle in his arm and allow him to go to sleep like a dog – more euthanasia than execution, more doing him a favor that inflicting justice.

I have to agree with everyone else! Mentally retarded????? What kind of Bull SH*T is that? The SOB knew what he was doing when he was doing it. He deserves to have his pen*s cut off and then he needs to be burried alive.  What he done to that little girl was wrong no matter how you look at it.  I hope and pray that the jury convicts him and gives him the death penalty. To the father of Little Jessica, our prayers are with you, we hope that justice is served in this case.

I take offense that the defense attorney is using the RETARDED CARD.  John Couey was sane enough and not retarded when he buried poor little Jessica alive.  THAT SHOWS INTENT TO ME.  He knew exactly what he was doing, and you will never convice me of anything different.

I have a diagnosis “JUST PLAIN EVIL”,

He needs to be punished just like he punished Jessica with Death!

First of all, thank you very much for your court coverage.  I’m sure we are all interested in the outcome of this case.

Second, I have a question:  During John Read’s deposition, he stated that Couey would go to the law library to read the law books looking for something that would help him.  If he is supposedly “retarted”, how could he read, much less understand, what was written in those books? Most laymen can’t understand the legal jargon.

Thank you,
floridapeople

Retarded? Probably, the guy doesn’t appear to be the sharpest person out there. Insane? Definitely to commit a crime like this. In my opinion anyone who commits such a crime is insane as I do not see a healthy mind being capable of it. Innocent? Not a chance in hell, either by reason of insanity or mental capacity. Should he be executed? Yep, he serves no purpose.

Isn’t there anyone else out there who believes retarded people who commit crimes deserve mercy?  I know the little girl was innocent and that she got no mercy - but I think it is at least possible that her killer didn’t know what he was doing.  I think it’s wrong to execute retarded people.

It is important to address a key issue...the real definition of being mentally retarded is not being discussed by Couey’s defense....just because he has had an IQ score below 70 a few weeks ago does not necessarily mean that me IS mentally retarded.  He is a 48 year old man.  Mental retardation is a developmental disorder and there has to be documentation from the developmental period (i.e. the first 18 years of life) to back that up.  So far, the defense has not provided any information that would be relevant and would show that he actually is MR.  It seems that they are just hoping to use it as a possible tactic to keep him from the death penalty.  It is unfortunate because he deserves the death penalty and if he has a low IQ it is likely due to the fact that he has fried his brain on drugs for the better part of his life!

Mental retardation can be viewed in many ways and is one of those “oh he/she was insane” type of excuses. This is a situation where he calculated out his moves and actions. He had thoughts and followed through.
I understand we are supposed to be a compassionate society but this is ridiculous and a waste of our court’s time. PROVE IT defense. Do not simply throw it out there hoping to gain something. Funny how this just happens to show up now. He is not retarded. Screwed up by history, life drugs… yes.
My earlier post speaks to my thoughts on his final disposition. I only hope it is soon as I am tired of seeing him on TV and in the paper.

Retarded/not retarded, insane/not insane, either way I’ll donate the garbage bag to put him in. I’d also like to donate bags for the other parties involved in hiding his whereabouts and other pertinent info before his arrest (aka his housemates).