Daughter thanks jury for sparing her father's killer

MIAMI (CNN) -- A decade ago, James Campbell repeatedly drove a knife into Rev. Billy Bosler's body. When the minister's daughter came to her father's aide, he plunged the blade into her back as well.

On Friday, a Miami jury, which had convicted Campbell of the crime, sentenced him to life in prison -- and received a "thank you" from the victim's daughter.

"Thank you for giving life and not death to James Bernard Campbell," SueZann Bosler said from the witness stand in an unusual speech after the sentencing. " ... No matter how mad I could be at James Bernard Campbell, I still don't believe in the death penalty for this man."

Bosler had been forbidden to tell the jury that she opposes the death penalty -- threatened with being found in contempt of court by Dade Circuit Judge Marc Schumacher.

Bosler testified that she was an active member of an anti-death penalty organization before Schumacher issued his warning.

"If you violate the order, and I find you in direct criminal contempt, you face six months in a Dade County jail with a $500 fine," the judge told her.

Bosler was not called to the stand again. Instead she waited Friday while the jury deliberated for three hours on Campbell's fate.

Prosecution paints brutal picture

Assistant State Attorney Michael Band presented graphic testimony and photographs of the 1986 murder -- including photographs of SueZann Bosler's wounds -- in an attempt to convince the jurors to sentence Campbell to death for the third time. Two previous death sentences were overturned because of courtroom errors.

But Campbell attorney Reemberto Diaz counted on the presence of the survivor of the attack -- and her opposition to the death penalty -- to save his client.

"It should have an impact," he said. "SueZann Bosler's presence certainly conveyed a message to this jury." SueZann was severely injured by multiple stab wounds from Campbell.

After the sentence was read, Band -- who had slammed Campbell's "bad childhood" defense during his closing arguments, said that the prosecution accepted the jury's decision.

"It's easier to discuss the death penalty at home than looking at a human being 12 feet away when your decision may alter his life," Band said.

Schumacher imposed the jury's sentence immediately. SueZann Bosler, speaking to the jury after sentencing, said that the sentence was "the happiest moment of the last 10 1/2 years for me."

"Now I can go on with my life," she said. "And I thank you very much for that. God bless you all."

Miami Bureau Chief John Zarrella contributed to this report.

Related sites:

• The Death Penalty Page
• Death Penalty Information

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