CENTENNIAL — Sir Mario Owens is a killer who has “struck at the heart of the criminal-justice system,” and for that he should be put to death, prosecutors said Friday.
Jury members in Arapahoe County District Court now will decide whether Owens should receive the death penalty for killing a witness — who was scheduled to testify against Owens’ friend — and his fiancee.
During closing arguments of the sentencing phase, defense attorneys said Owens has a brain deficiency and cognitive problems and had a rough childhood. They asked the jury to have mercy on Owens and spare his life.
“He’s like a kid . . . in his ability to make decisions,” defense attorney Dan King said. “The death penalty is certainly not necessary in this case and serves no other purpose other than vengeance.”
But prosecutor Ann Tomsic said Owens doesn’t deserve any mercy after being convicted of killing three people. (He is serving life in prison without parole in the death of Gregory Vann, who was killed at Lowry Park in Aurora on July 4, 2004.)
She pointed out his callousness after the killings, going so far as to purchase “Stop snitchin’ ” T-shirts.
“What you have seen in these past few months is a killer with no remorse. He kills, and he kills again,” Tomsic said.
“Mercy for the merciless is not fair, and it is not righteous,” she said. “The defendant has never shown mercy.”
Owens, 23, was found guilty Wednesday of killing Javad Marshall-Fields and Vivian Wolfe on June 20, 2005, as they drove down an Aurora street. Marshall-Fields was to testify against Robert Ray, Owens’ friend, when he was gunned down on the eve of Ray’s trial.
“What Owens did, he ambushed, he killed and he murdered Javad and Vivian,” said Rhonda Fields, Marshall-Fields’ mother, after Friday’s proceedings. “I have confidence they (the jury) are going to come back with a just decision.”
After almost three months of the trial, jurors began deliberating at about 4 p.m. Friday, then went home for the weekend and will reconvene Monday. They must be unanimous in their decision for Owens to receive a death sentence but already have decided that he meets all the aggravating factors for death-penalty eligibility.
Ray is in prison for the Vann murder and is scheduled to go to trial for the Marshall-Fields and Wolfe murders in August. He also faces the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors say he gave the orders to kill Marshall-Fields and Wolfe.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
