Luther Watkins was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Thursday for the murder of Tuscaloosa police officer Dornell Cousette.
Watkins was found guilty of capital murder last Friday for fatally shooting Cousette in 2019. The sentencing portion of the trial began on Tuesday, was adjourned on Wednesday and concluded Thursday.
Circuit Judge Brad Almond told the jury that a vote of at least 10 would be required to sentence Watkins to death, and a vote of at least seven to sentence him to life without the possibility of parole. After four hours of deliberation the jury voted for Watkins to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Seven voted for life in prison and five voted for the death penalty.
The state prosecution said they sought the death penalty for Watkins because police officers like Cousette “put themselves between us and the criminals… and then they are killed protecting us.”
The defense said they plan to file an appeal against guilty verdict.
“We’ll see this case again. We will be back in court, and we will be overturned, and it’s still ‘free Luther Watkins.’”
The jury consisted of one Black man, two Black women, three white men and six white women.
“Justice was not done here. He was not sentenced by a jury of his peers,” said Marus Collins, Watikins’ uncle, adding that the family didn’t agree with, but accepted the verdict.”
Jayla Murphy, a Tuscaloosa resident, protested Watkin’s conviction from outside the Tuscaloosa County courthouse Thursday afternoon, saying she believes Watkins was “done wrong” by the Tuscaloosa Police Department.
“I feel like the residents of Tuscaloosa need to come together and find a solution so we can be heard and so we won’t be pushed over by TPD just because they have a badge,” she said.
When asked if he had anything to say about his sentencing, Watkins only had two words to say, “free me.”
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