EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – During their closing argument prosecution called on the jury to sentence Joseph Angel Alvarez to life in prison for murder of local attorney Georgette Kaufmann.
On Friday, Oct. 20, Alvarez was found guilty on one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault.
State’s prosecutor told the jury Alvarez should also get 20 years on the count of aggravated assault for Kaufmann’s husband Daniel.
“I am not suggesting we lock people up because of mental health but because they are a danger to society,” the prosecutor said to the jury disputing the defense’s claims that Alvarez was mentally ill and should be supervised and medicated instead serving a sentence life in prison.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, state’s expert witness psychologist Dr. Timothy Proctor testified that Alvarez was mentally ill, but that he was not clinically insane when committing the alleged crimes.
The prosecutor showed the jury a photo of Kaufmann’s 16-year-old son Connor who was away on a trip during the incident.
“If Connot would have been home, Connor would have been in a box too,” the prosecutor said to the jury while holding Connor’s photo.
Family was also present in the courtroom, crying during the closing arguments.
Jury started deliberating on the sentence around 11 a.m.
KTSM will post updates on the sentence as the information becomes available.
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