The Arizona Daily Star reports:
On Tuesday morning, the jury decided enough aggravating factors exist in the case to make Forde eligible for the death penalty.
Specifically, they found Forde intended for the murders to take place and Forde was a major participant in the robbery of the Floreses and the burglary of their home.
In addition, they said Forde was found guilty of other serious offenses Monday, her motive was money, more than one person was murdered and Brisenia was younger than 15 and Forde was older than 18.
Thorpe and co-counsel Eric Larsen hope they can persuade jurors to spare Forde’s life, saying there is more to Forde than what happened the morning the Floreses died.
Jurors were told Tuesday Forde was born in 1967 to a family with a long history of incest and child molestation. By the time Forde was 5, she’d lived in seven households because her mother continually chose her boyfriends over her children. She was molested by an uncle and an adoptive father, and she was physically abused by a foster mother.
Forde eventually went from running away and stealing to prostitution while still a teenager, Thorpe told the jurors.
Thorpe told jurors they will hear experts testify that because of Forde’s childhood she developed a personality disorder with narcissistic tendencies. Forde has problems with deductive reasoning, problem-solving and “seeing the big picture,” Thorpe said.
