MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A handyman convicted in the killing of a La Carreta waitress was re-sentenced to death Friday by a Miami-Dade County judge after having his initial sentence overturned.
Rafael Andres, 61, was convicted in 2014 of the 2005 murder of Yvette Farinas, 31.
Detectives said Andres beat, stabbed and strangled Farinas with an electrical cord before setting her home on fire.
According to The Miami Herald, Andres had been hired to do renovations at the efficiency Farinas lived in with her boyfriend.
In 2015, Andres was sentenced to death, but a Florida Supreme Court ruling overturned his sentence.
Within the last year, a jury heard sentencing phase arguments and once again recommended the death penalty.
Miami-Dade County Judge Zachary James on Friday had the final say and could have chosen to override the jury’s recommendation. But the judge followed the jury’s recommendation and sent Andres back to death row.
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