Inmate could face death in cellmate's slaying

VERNON, Conn. (AP) — A jury has convicted a Connecticut inmate of capital felony, meaning he could face the death penalty for killing his cellmate at a state prison.

The Hartford Courant reports the verdict came Tuesday after a prosecutor testified that 25-year-old Jose Jusino was eligible for the capital felony charge because he was serving 30 years for an earlier killing.

The jury convicted Jusino last week of strangling 22-year-old Reynald Robles at the Northern Correctional Institution in July 2009.

Jurors will take up the penalty phase on Wednesday, deciding if Jusino should be sentenced to death. Connecticut abolished the death penalty for new cases this year, but it is still in effect earlier crimes.

His attorney has argued Jusino was in a rage when he killed Robles and didn't intend to do it.

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Information from: The Hartford Courant