Families testify in retrial of convicted spree killer

Families of the victims of spree killer Gary Sampson told the jury their stories in an emotional day in court.

Sampson has already been convicted of killing three people, two in Massachusetts, and one in New Hampshire, during one week in July 2001. Sampson's previous death penalty sentence was thrown out on a technicality, and now a new jury is deciding his fate.

After nearly two weeks of testimony, the voices of the victims were finally heard in the courtroom. At times, people were openly crying.

In court, the families of Massachusetts murder victims Philip McCloskey and Jonathan Rizzo, spoke of unbearable loss, and deep pain that simply does not go away.

“I think we just wanted them to know who Jonathan is, and Phil is, Phil McCloskey. We've been listening to weeks of clinical testimony about crime scenes and autopsies. The people get lost in there. That's who this is about. It's not about anything else but Phil and Jonathan and Eli. That's all we wanted them to understand, is who they were as people,” said one family member.

Eli is Eli Whitney, the New Hampshire man who was murdered.

It was a draining day for the jury; not only did they hear testimony from the families, but they also heard a full 45 minute confession to the murders Sampson gave right after he was arrested.

Cox Media Group