Jury Urges Executing Man, 75, Who Killed 5
A jury has recommended that a 75-year-old farmer be sentenced to death after convicting him of five counts of first-degree murder.
Jurors returned the recommendation Wednesday night. They earlier had found Ray Copeland guilty of killing five transient workers in order to cover up what prosecutors said was a fraudulent cattle-buying scheme.
Scotland County Circuit Judge E. Richard Webber is expected to make his decision on the sentence next month. His only option, besides following the jury’s recommendation, is to sentence Copeland to life in prison without parole.
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