State rests

The state has rested its preliminary case. The defense will begin after a short recess.

The ripple effect

Jessica's disappearance and death left other children terrified, said Debra Harmon, a guidance counselor at Homosassa Elementary School.

Though Harmon never actually knew Jessica, she was called as a victim impact witness by the state.

Homosassa is generally a sleepy community, not the kind of place where children are abducted from their own homes, buried in a neighbor's yard, she said.

"It is a horrible reality," Harmon read from a prepared statement, her voice breaking.

After Jessica's death, many young students slept on the floors of their parents' bedrooms, or even in their beds. They no longer felt protected, and began to question their own mortality.

"It affected the innocence of our children's lives," she said.

-- Elena Lesley

The mind of a child

John Couey committed a horrible act.

But it was just the most gruesome chapter in a life marred by abuse, neglect, mental illness and even brain injury, Defense Attorney Alan Fanter told jurors in his opening statements.

"Nothing's going to undo what happened to Jessica," he said. At this time, members of the jury must assess where to go from here. In doing that, they need to consider how Couey got where he is today, Fanter said.

Couey was born premature to a 16-year-old mother unable to cope with parenthood. His father, an abusive alcoholic, once even pushed the child from a moving vehicle, and the only stable influence in Couey's life was his sister.

"He lived a life you wouldn't want for yourself," Fanter said.

Moreover, Couey suffers from untreated mental illness and has a functioning IQ of 64, he continued.

Sitting here today is a man "48 years old with the mind of a child," Fanter said.

Reporter John Frank has chronicled much of Couey's traumatic past in his article "Early pain set Couey on path of perversion"

Another recent story explores the defense's claims about Couey's mental capabilities: "Which Couey will they sentence?"

-- Elena Lesley

Not a good day

As Prosecutor Pete Magrino made his opening statements to the jury, he pointed out that he had failed to wish them a "good morning."

It's never a good day, he said, when the state goes before 12 citizens and asks them to put a fellow citizen to death. But in some cases, this request is necessary.

What John Couey did to Jessica Lunsford was "heinous, atrocious and cruel," Magrino said. It was also premeditated, he claimed.

The aggravating circumstances surrounding the case -- Couey's kidnap and rape of Jessica, her youth, his decision to bury her alive to hinder law enforcement -- far outweigh any mitigating factors that will be presented by the defense, Magrino said.

Some cases "cry out for a death recommendation because it's legally the right thing to do," Magrino said. This, he asserted, is one of those cases.

Jurors will hear both new and old evidence related to aggravating circumstances and listen to testimony from those who have been affected by Jessica's death.

Prosecutors say they should be finished presenting their case by lunch today, though they have one witness who won't be available until Thursday morning. Mark Lunsford will not be testifying.

-- Elena Lesley

Voir dire

After a respite from court proceedings, jurors are back in Courtroom 4-1 today for the start of sentencing.  Judge Ric Howard is questioning them to make sure they weren't exposed to new information involving the case during their break.

So far, they've proved to be a reliable bunch.

After Howard welcomes jurors back, in his typical paternal manner, he rattles off a long list of queries: Have they done any independent investigation of the case? Have they discussed it with anyone? Were they able to avoid any related media coverage?

Whether out of a sense of civic responsibility, or a commitment to the case itself, these Miami jurors have stringently followed Howard's orders.

-- Elena Lesley