Brisenia Flores Killer Sentenced To Death

Jason Bush, 36, shot Brisenia Flores, 9, in the face, killing her. For this crime, and that of killing Brisenia’s father Raúl in an equally brutal fashion, Bush was sentenced to death yesterday in an Arizona courtroom. The jury deliberated for about four hours over the course of two days, ignoring Bush’s attorneys’ pleads to spare him the death penalty, because he was sick and had a tough childhood.

We’ve reported on the guilty verdict and death penalty punishment for another accomplice in Brisenia’s death, Shawna Forde, whose defense also involved the fact that she had a hard life by way of reason she decided to take part in killing a child. The Arizona Daily Star reports:

Bush, 36, was convicted of first-degree murder last month in the May 30, 2009, deaths of Arivaca residents Raul Junior Flores, 29, and his daughter Brisenia Flores, 9.

Bush was part of Minutemen American Defense founder Shawna Forde’s plan to rob and kill drug smugglers to fund her organization, prosecutors say. Forde, 43, was convicted and sentenced to death in February.

Bush shot Junior Flores multiple times in the neck and torso and shot Brisenia Flores twice in the face at point-blank range as the girl begged for her life, according to Gina Gonzalez, 32, the sole survivor in the attack that killed her husband and daughter.

In addition to the murder convictions, The Phoenix New Times reports:

In addition to the two first-degree murder convictions for the murders of Raul “Junior” Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia, at their home in Arivaca, Bush also was found guilty of  attempted first-degree murder of Gina Marie Gonzalez, Flores’ wife, as well as of one count of burglary, one count of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated assault: deadly weapon/dangerous instrument, one count of armed robbery, and one count of aggravated armed robbery.

There’s one more accomplice in this crime, Albert Robert Gaxiola, who is currently awaiting trial.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD