ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — State Attorney Jeff Ashton told WFTV he plans to personally be involved in the prosecution of murder suspect Bessman Okafor.
Okafor is accused of fatally shooting Alex Zaldivar during a home invasion in October 2012. Zaldivar was set to testify against Okafor in a separate home invasion case just days before he was killed.
Ashton is already taking on prosecuting two big cases. He recently announced he will prosecute the suspects in a string of Osceola County shootings, as well as an Orange County suspect who allegedly killed a father of six while fleeing from police.
WFTV's Tim Barber spoke to Ashton and Zaldivar's father, Rafael Zaldivar, about the case and the trial.
"The ultimate goal is to terminate these three guys, execute them," Zaldivar said.
Ashton said he plans to be personally involved with the prosecution of Bessman Okafor, who is facing the death penalty.
"My primary role in Okafor is to deal with the penalty phase," Ashton said.
It's now the third significant case Ashton will be involved in since he was sworn in as state attorney in January. But he doesn't think it will be a problem to balance the high-profile cases and his administrative duties.
"My job is just to make sure everyone is doing the job that I have assigned to them and doing it correctly and then I'm free to do what I think is most important, which is being involved in cases and seeing that they are done well," Ashton said.
Zaldivar said he is confident Ashton is the right man to be involved in Okafor's trial.
"I think he's going to do a good job with it and that's what we are seeking right now," Zaldivar said.
Okafor's trial for the first home invasion is expected to begin at the end of August. The second home invasion and murder trial is slated for 2014.
WFTV
