ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Jury selection began Tuesday morning in the resentencing trial of convicted killer Bessman Okafor.
Okafor was originally sentenced to death in 2015, after being found guilty in the 2012 murder of Alex Zaldivar, 19, who was slated to testify against Okafor in a home invasion case.
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A jury voted 11-1 to sentence Okafor to death in 2015, but the Florida Supreme Court in 2016 ruled on unanimous jury recommendations for such a sentence. Okafor’s sentence was overturned in 2017.
Back in November, Okafor’s resentencing trial was put on hold after a juror, Kayla De Pena, 26, told the court she discussed the case with a friend. She eventually told the judge that she lied about having any conversations about the trial, in the hopes of getting out of further jury service.
On Jan. 9, De Pena was ordered to spend 179 days in jail for direct criminal contempt of court charges and pay a $500 fine – both maximum sentences the court could impose.
Selection of a new jury is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
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