Miami-Dade jury recommends death penalty for Alberto Sierra
The Cuban man was convicted of three murders and three kidnappings; the jury was unanimous for only one of the killings.
A Miami-Dade jury recommended the death penalty for Alberto Sierra for murdering his wife and her two daughters. Sierra, a 42-year-old Cuban, faces possible capital punishment after the sentencing phase. The recommendation did not end the process because he could still ask the judge to reject it.
Sierra confessed to killing 29-year-old Gladys Machado and her daughters, six-year-old Julia Padrino and three-year-old Daniela Padrino, in 2012. The couple was separated. Sierra pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and three counts of kidnapping.
The jury heard witnesses over three weeks before issuing its recommendation. Although it advised capital punishment, unanimity was reached for only one of the three murders. That distinction limits the scope of agreement among jurors.
During sentencing, the defense requested life imprisonment based on Sierra's background, while prosecutors emphasized the violence of the three killings. Both positions were presented as jurors considered punishment.
Sierra had until November 2 to ask the judge to reject the death recommendation. Because the judge retained authority over that request, the jury's recommendation was not itself a final judicial sentence.