Lawyers for a Vermont man accused of raping and killing his 12-year-old niece want a judge to block prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in his case.
Attorneys for Michael Jacques argue that since the state of Vermont doesn’t have the death penalty, it shouldn’t be applied in the federal prosecution of Jacques if he’s convicted. The motion was filed yesterday.
Jacques is accused of kidnapping and killing Brooke Bennett, of Braintree.
Her body was found buried in a shallow grave near his home in July 2008 a week after she went missing.