FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Dayonte Resiles, convicted of murder in the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old woman in 2014, was officially sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
Resiles, now 27, was charged with killing Jill Halliburton Su nearly eight years ago.
Prosecutors said Resiles broke into Su’s home, but ended up getting into a struggle with her, stabbing her to death, tying her up and leaving her in a bathtub full of bloody water inside her Davie home.
During closing arguments, the state said DNA evidence put Resiles in the home and proves he was the murderer. While Resiles’ DNA was found on a knife inside the home, it was not found on the knife used in the killing.
Prosecutors, however, said his DNA was found on a bathrobe belt that was used to tie up the victim.
A jury found Resiles guilty of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors decided not to pursue the death penalty per the wishes of the victim’s family.
The now-convicted murderer sat through testimony from the victim’s widower, her sister, and her son who found his mother’s body.
And then he took the stand.
“They can hook me up to a polygraph test at any given time, ask me any question you wish and my answer will remain the same ‘I did not kill Mrs. Su’ and that’s all I have to say and to my family, I love you all. I don’t want you all, don’t cry for me no matter what I got to go through, I’ll get through it,” Resiles said.
Resiles has 30 days to appeal his sentencing. His family told Local 10 News outside of the courtroom that he does plan on appealing.
RELATED: See past stories about the trial of Dayonte Resiles