Facts of the Crime:
A man who killed a Phoenix pawn-shop owner while robbing his store in 2004 was sentenced to death by a Maricopa County Superior Court jury. Jahmari Manuel, who also goes by the name of Warren Carl Manuel, was caught on surveillance video when he shot Darrell Willeford in Willeford's store on Thomas Road and 35th Street on March 31, 2004. Jurors watched the tape and saw Manuel firing his gun as soon as he opened the door, then firing again into Willeford as he lay on the floor. Manuel then fled to North Carolina, where he was arrested in December 2004. Manuel was charged with first-degree murder, burglary, armed robbery and misconduct with weapons. On August 6, 2009, he was found guilty on all counts. On August 17, 2009, the jury determined that he had committed the murder for monetary gain, thus qualifying Manuel for the death penalty.
Manuel was officially sentenced to death on September 23, 2009.
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