CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man found guilty of first-degree murder for dropping his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge four years ago is asking for a new trial.
John Jonchuck was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month, despite arguments from his attorneys that he was insane and thought his actions would actually save her. No one disputed that 29-year-old Jonchuck dropped his daughter Phoebe 62 feet (18 meters) into Tampa Bay in January 2015, and that he had a long history of mental problems.
Prosecutors portrayed him as a vengeful man who planned to kill his daughter to keep her away from her mother and grandmother.
The Tampa Bay Times reports attorney filed a motion Friday giving 11 reasons he deserves a new trial, almost all related to pieces of evidence or testimony the judge either let the jury hear or didn’t.
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