HOUSTON (AP) — The punishment phase is beginning for a man convicted in the strangulation death of a man whom he and his wife, a sheriff's deputy, confronted outside a Houston-area restaurant.
The first of what's expected to be several days of testimony begins Tuesday. Terry Thompson was convicted Monday of killing 24-year-old John Hernandez in May 2017. He faces up to life in prison.
Prosecutors say Thompson kept Hernandez in a chokehold, even after he stopped resisting.
Thompson's attorneys argued that Thompson acted in self-defense after being punched in the face and insisted he kept Hernandez subdued only until he stopped resisting.
Thompson's wife, Chauna Thompson, helped restrain Hernandez and is also charged with murder. She was later fired by the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Her trial is set for April.
