Jurors to decide if Ohio man should be executed

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio man who pleaded guilty to slaying two women and was convicted by a jury of killing two teenage girls could receive the death penalty.

Jurors convicted 41-year-old Anthony Kirkland on Friday of aggravated murder and other charges in the slayings of 13-year-old Esme Kenney and 14-year-old Casonya Crawford of Cincinnati. His sentencing hearing began today.

Jurors could recommend the death penalty or life in prison with or without the possibility of parole in the teens’ deaths.

Defense attorneys say Kirkland may speak on his own behalf.

Kirkland was to have been tried in all four killings but pleaded guilty to murder and corpse abuse in the Cincinnati slayings of 45-year-old Mary Jo Newton and 25-year-old Kimya Rolison.