MIAMI - Prosecutors in Florida say they will seek the death penalty against the couple accused in the slaying of their 10-year-old adopted daughter.
Prosecutor Gail Levine made the announcement Monday morning as Jorge and Carmen Barahona appeared in a Miami-Dade County courtroom. The Barahonas, who face first-degree murder charges and a slew of child abuse and neglect charges, both pleaded not guilty.
Jorge Barahona cried in court on Monday and wore a vest used for inmates on suicide watch.
Authorities say for months the parents hit twins Victor and Nubia with a shoe, whip or broom, bound their hands and feet, and locked them in a bathroom, sometimes for days.
Nubia's body was found on Valentine's Day in the back of Jorge Barahona's truck. Victor, who survived, was doused in a toxic chemical.