John Evander Couey Found Guilty - A jury found convicted sex offender John Evander Couey guilty Wednesday of kidnapping and raping 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, verdicts that brought to an end a case that led to a nationwide crackdown on people convicted of sex crimes.
The charges against Couey prompted Florida and a number of other states to pass new laws cracking down on sex offenders and improve tracking of them, including a new U.S. Justice Department database.
Jurors deliberated about four hours before returning the verdict against Couey. The girl was snatched from her bedroom in 2005, about 150 yards from the trailer where Couey had been living.
Her body was found in a shallow hole, encased in two black plastic trash bags. She had been buried alive and suffocated, and was found clutching a purple stuffed dolphin. Two fingers poked through the top of the bags.
The jury next must decide whether Couey, 48, should get death by injection or life in prison.
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