Death penalty reinstated in 1996 double killing in Missouri

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man convicted of killing an eastern Missouri couple in 1996 will once again face the death penalty.

A federal appeals court on Monday reinstated the death penalty against Carmen Deck, who robbed and killed James and Zelma Long at their De Soto home.

Deck has been sentenced to death three times since his conviction but the sentences were later overturned for various reasons.

The appeals court on Monday overturned a lower court judge who overturned his third death sentence in 2017.

The three-judge panel ruled that Deck should have raised his objections to the death penalty in state court first.