Overview
- Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez is the sole decision-maker after Ragan waived a jury, with a sentencing date to be set on March 10.
- Ragan chose not to take the stand on the second day of the penalty phase, responding that he did not want to testify when asked by the judge.
- Prosecutors pressed for death, citing a November 2013 violent spree and showing surveillance from the nail salon robbery where $300 was taken before shots were fired.
- Defense counsel urged life in prison, pointing to Ragan’s upbringing and mental-health history, as a forensic psychologist testified his M-FAST score was consistent with malingering.
- Victim impact statements included the mother’s call for justice and the father’s public forgiveness 12 years after the shooting that killed 10-year-old Aaron and wounded Hai Vu.