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Supreme Court strikes Shawn Lynch death sentence

Posted at 7:27 PM, May 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-31 22:27:25-04
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned an Arizona man's death sentence in a 2001 killing in which the victim was robbed and his throat slit.
 
The court's ruling Tuesday says Shawn Patrick Lynch should have been allowed to tell jurors that he would not be eligible for parole if sentenced to prison terms of either natural life or at least 25 years.
 
It's the second time an appellate court has overturned a death sentence for Lynch, who was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes in the killing of James Panzarella in his Phoenix-area apartment.
 
Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokeswoman Rebecca Wilder said the office is declining comment on the court's ruling because the case remains pending.