Gary Lee Sampson Returns To Mass. Federal Court For New Sentencing Trial

Gary Lee Sampson in 2003 was the first defendant ever sentenced to death in federal court in Massachusetts. He had pleaded guilty to the stabbing murders of two men in the course of two separate carjackings in July 2001, and jurors were unanimous in choosing death as his punishment.

But the judge later overturned the sentence, after finding that one of the jurors lied during jury selection.

So on Wednesday, 13 years later, Gary Lee Sampson returns to federal court for a new sentencing trial. A new jury must again decide whether Sampson should be punished with death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

WBUR's David Boeri joined WBUR's Morning Edition to preview the retrial.