A Miami jury on Tuesday recommended the death penalty for Alberto Sierra, 42, who pleaded guilty in August to three counts of first-degree murder in the 2012 deaths of his estranged wife, Gladys Machado, and her daughters, Julia and Daniela Padron. The girls were 6 and 3 at the time.
The jury voted 11-1 for a death sentence in Machado’s killing, 12-0 for Julia’s and 8-4 for Daniela’s, according to the court record reported by CBS News Miami. Closing arguments were held Monday, and deliberations began Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Sierra tried to cover up the crimes before DNA evidence linked him to them. Investigators said the killings followed an argument at the Mall of the Americas on West Flagler Street. Police said Sierra stabbed Machado, drove the family to their home on Northwest 4th Street in west Miami-Dade, then locked the girls in a bedroom and suffocated all three. Investigators also accused him of sexually assaulting Machado and one of the girls after they died.
Machado’s son, Michael Padrino Jr., was 5 at the time and stayed home that day. He testified during the trial. Sierra did not testify. His defense called a doctor and relatives, who spoke about his medical history and asked jurors to spare his life.
The bodies were found days later after a neighbor reported a foul odor from the home. Police said Sierra confessed during questioning.
