COPIAH COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
A Copiah County jury has returned a verdict, sentencing a man to death one day after he was convicted of murder.
Jurors deliberated about two hours Wednesday before deciding whether David Dickerson would be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Tuesday Dickerson was found guilty of capital murder in the death of Paula Hamilton.
Jurors listened to more testimony during the sentencing phase Wednesday.
Psychologists who evaluated Dickerson said he suffered from a personality disorder, where he was unable to control his thoughts or emotions.
Social workers testified that he was abused as a child and removed from his parents home by the Department of Human Services, at age 16. They say his home life consisted of a filthy trailer with no running water, where he was abused by his mother and father.
Dickerson killed Hamilton, the mother of his teenage daughter, in January of 2011. After the murder, he set her camper home on fire, then held a gun to the head of his own daughter.
Defense Attorney Andre de Gruy told reporters leaving the courthouse, "We'll were obviously disappointed in the verdict. The next step is to file a motion for a new trial, that will be filed in 10 days with the Judge and if that is unsuccessful, we'll go on and file an appeal before the Mississippi Supreme Court."
Defense attorney's say Dickerson had not verbally expressed any response to the jury's verdict, but they believe he is deeply saddened and disappointed.
Dickerson apparently turned down a plea deal that would have guaranteed life in prison.
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