ORLANDO, Fla. — A jury reached a guilty verdict Tuesday in the trial for a security guard who was accused of raping and killing a woman in her downtown Orlando apartment.
Police said Stephen Duxbury strangled Sasha Samsudean in October 2015 at the Uptown Place apartments after she returned from a night out.
The jury deliberated for about four hours after the seven day trial.
He was found guilty on all counts, which included first-degree murder, attempted sexual battery with physical force and burglary of a dwelling with assault and battery.
To recap, this is a GUILTY verdict on first degree murder, attempted sexual battery with physical force and burglary. #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) November 21, 2017
Great teamwork by @OrlandoPolice Homicide and CSI Units, FDLE, and State Attorney's Office. Justice for the family and friends of Sasha Samsudean. Duxbury found guilty.
— Sheriff John Mina (@SheriffMina) November 21, 2017
After reading the verdict, Samsudean's mother spoke to the judge before the sentencing and gave an emotional statement about the last dinner she had with her daughter.
"I will never have a last supper with my daughter again. I won't have birthdays. My husband won't get to walk her down the aisle," she said. "The chain is broken. I now have a family of three."
Samsudean's mom: “Sasha Samsudean is my daughter. And she died a terrible, terrible death.” #WFTV
— Field Sutton (@EFieldSutton) November 21, 2017
Sentencing began shortly after Samsudean's parents spoke to the judge.
"You know, they say life is not made up of the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away. She took my breath away millions of times," Ken Samsudean, Sasha's father said.
"I said, 'I'm going to Orlando. I'm going to find out what happened and I'm going to kick his ass.' I'm sorry to use that language your honor, but I'm never going to have dinner with my daughter again," Tara Samsudean, Sasha's mother said.
Duxbury was sentenced to life in prison.
He was working as a security guard at the apartment building at the time Samsudean was killed.
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Duxbury's defense attorneys asked the expert if his DNA could have somehow gotten onto Samsudean's body without him touching her. The expert said the odds of it belonging to someone else is in the billions or trillions.
Duxbury told the judge he would not testify. His defense called no witnesses and rested Monday afternoon.
Investigators said surveillance footage shows Duxbury walking with an intoxicated Samsudean.
His attorneys claimed that investigators botched the case and that the true killer remains at large.
Cox Media Group
