A Florida man has been sentenced to death for killing his wife and five children.
Mesac Damas, 41, was sentenced by a judge Friday after waiving his right to a jury and to have attorneys present mitigating evidence, the Naples Daily News reports.
He pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder last month. He had also asked for the death penalty.
Judge Christine Greider told the court: ‘Because death is a unique punishment in its finality, its application is reserved only for those cases where only the most aggravating and least mitigating circumstances exist.’
Damas has been in custody since 2009 after he confessed to murdering wife Guerline, 32, and children Michzach, nine; Marven, six; Maven, five; Megan, three; and 11-month-old Morgan.
Mesac Damas has been sentenced to death after he pleaded guilty to six counts of premeditated first-degree murder for murdering his wife and five children in their home in North Naples, Florida
Damas previously said: ‘I love my people, my wife and children. But this thing happened. I don’t have an answer for it. I wish I had an answer for it, but I don’t’
Handing down the death sentence, Judge Christine Greider told the court: ‘Because death is a unique punishment in its finality, its application is reserved only for those cases where only the most aggravating and least mitigating circumstances exist’
‘I love my people, my wife and children. But this thing happened. I don’t have an answer for it. I wish I had an answer for it, but I don’t,’ Damas previously said in court.
‘When I stand before the great God, I will ask him a lot of questions. From now on, I’m just going to put my trust in him, and say sorry to the whole world.’
The six victims were found in the family’s home with stab wounds and their throats slashed on September 18 by Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk after the family asked police to conduct a welfare check.
Damas fled to his home country of Haiti but was arrested and returned to the US. He said he went to Haiti to say goodbye to his family and claimed he was going to turn himself in.
He had previously admitted to killing his family to a Naples News reporter, telling him ‘Only God knows’ when asked why he did it.
Damas killed his wife, Guerline (left), and their five children (right) pictured left to right: Megan, three; Michzach, nine; Morgan; 11 months; Maven, five, and Marven, six
He then blamed the six murders on his mother-in-law, saying she ‘pretty much made me do it – the devil, her spirit, whatever she worships’.
He told the reporter he wanted the jury to immediately send him to death before adding that his children and wife were innocent, that ‘everybody’s innocent’.
‘Then why, why would you kill them?’ the reporter asked.
‘The devil,’ he responded. ‘The devil exists…When I did it my eyes was closed, right now my eyes are open.’
Damas’ trial had been delayed by mental competency issues, Fox 4 reported.
His attorneys had argued that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a long history of mental illness that began during his childhood in Haiti.
Previously, Damas had blamed the devil and his mother-in-law for leading him to commit six murders