ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A judge on Monday will finally decide the fate of convicted murder Bessman Okafor – a decision the families of his victims have wanted for 12 years.
“He’s put a life sentence on our entire family, this guy, Bessman Okafor. A life sentence. We have to live with this forever. I want him executed, I want him euthanized,” said Rafael Zaldivar, father of Alex Zaldivar.
Okafor was originally sentenced to death in 2015 in an 11-1 vote for killing 19-year-old Alex Zaldivar and shooting two others in 2012.
All three were set to testify against Okafor in a home invasion trial later that year
“Hopefully lawmakers won’t mess with this again. Just let it be and let it roll. Let the death penalty stay. Quit messing with it,” Rafael said.
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A 2016 Florida Supreme Court ruling overturned Okafor’s sentence, after ruling recommendations for a death sentence had to be unanimous.
“I thought we were done with this 10 years ago, 12 years ago, but no,” Rafael said.
Then in 2020, the Supreme Court reversed their decision saying juries did not have to be unanimous in death penalty cases.
“It’s ridiculous, that’s one of my issue that I had with our judicial system. It failed him. Miserably,” Rafael said.
Okafor was resentenced to the death penalty in a 9-3 vote in January which leaves the Judge to make the final call on Okafor’s fate.
Rafael Zaldivar said it’s time to end this.
“I want to be the last person that he sees. When it’s time. When they put him on that gurney. I want to be right in front of him,” Rafael said.
Rafael said he plans to be there in court tomorrow to see this to the end. Regardless of the outcome, Rafael said his family will never have peace.
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