A jury is recommending the death penalty for a man convicted of killing a 15-year-old boy who was protecting his younger sister during a 2019 home invasion.
Ryan Cole, 33, was found guilty on all counts , including first-degree murder in the death of Khyler Edman. The jury reached its verdict after just a few hours of deliberation.
On Thursday, jurors recommended Cole be sentenced to death. The final sentencing decision now rests with the judge.
Cole was accused of breaking into Edman’s Port Charlotte home and fatally stabbing the teen as he shielded his 5-year-old sister. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial, which lasted two weeks, included emotional testimony from Edman’s mother, Jessica English, and multiple witnesses. Surveillance footage from a nearby home showed someone breaking in through a carport on Starline Lane. Graphic photos of Edman’s body and the bloody scene were shown to jurors.
Testimony during the penalty phase helped jurors decide between life imprisonment and the death penalty. With the jury’s recommendation now made, the court awaits the judge’s ruling on Cole’s final sentence.
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