St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson expressed outrage Monday after President Joe Biden commuted the death sentences of Ricardo Sanchez Jr. and Daniel Troya, who were convicted of murdering a West Palm Beach family on Florida’s Turnpike in 2006.
“Where is the justice for the Escobedo family that was murdered in cold blood?” Pearson asked, referring to the brutal killings of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife Yessica Guerro Escobedo, and their two young sons, Luis Damian and Luis Julian.
READ: Biden Commutes Death Sentence Of Inmate Who Murdered Prison Guard On 30th Anniversary Of Attack
The family was gunned down after their Jeep Cherokee was stopped on the highway, a crime that shook the community and led to the death sentences of Sanchez and Troya more than a decade ago.
With just over a month remaining in his presidency, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, including Sanchez and Troya, reducing their punishment to life imprisonment without parole. Only three individuals remain on federal death row following Biden’s actions.
READ: Biden Commutes Sentences Of 37 Federal Death Row Inmates Including Ohio Cop Killer
The White House justified the commutations as part of Biden’s broader stance against the death penalty. A statement from the administration explained that the president believes capital punishment should be reserved for cases of terrorism or hate-fueled mass murder. Biden previously imposed a federal moratorium on executions early in his term, halting any pending death sentences.
Pearson criticized the decision, accusing the Biden administration of prioritizing ideology over justice.
“Waking up to news that Joe Biden commuted the death sentence for Ricardo Sanchez Jr. and Daniel Troya, minimizing it to a life sentence, is disheartening,” Pearson said. “These two earned their right to die for the heinous crimes they committed.”
“This is an example of the woke ideology this current administration exhibits; this time it hits home right here in St Lucie County,” Pearson said.
READ: Andy McCarthy Says Biden’s Death Row Commutations Are A Slap In The Face To Congress
Sanchez and Troya were convicted of stopping the Escobedo family’s vehicle on the Turnpike before shooting all four family members and leaving them dead at the scene.
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