HOUSTON – A judge sentenced the man found guilty in the murder of 11-year-old Josue Flores to life in prison on Wednesday.
The life sentence comes one day after a jury found Andre Jackson guilty of murder.
Jackson prepared a statement for the judge that lasted about 10 minutes or so. He ended by sending his condolences to the Flores family.
Immediately after Jackson stopped speaking, the judge handed down the life sentence.
During the sentencing phase, a doctor who evaluated Jackson four times over the last five years said he diagnosed him with major depressive disorder with psychotic features and paranoid personality disorder.
Members of the Flores family also gave their victim impact statements, including his father, Juan Flores, and his sister.
Juan said life has been very difficult since his son’s death, but is happy that justice is finally been served and happy with the way the trial was handled.
Flores was stabbed roughly 20 times with a pocketknife nearly six years ago while walking home from school.
Surveillance video and photos put Jackson on the same street where and when Flores was killed back in May of 2016.
Much of the case has been centered on key evidence in the case, including the new pieces of surveillance video, which show Flores at different times on the day of his murder, from leaving Marshall Middle school to walking down the street with his backpack on.
Several other pieces of footage played for jurors during the trial showed Jackson putting on his jacket and looking at his hands, walking past an elementary school, and running down a street. The jacket Jackson had on, said prosecutors, is the same green jacket that they said belonged to Jackson the day Flores was killed, which contained his DNA.
At Jackson’s request, it will be the judge - not the jury - who decides the punishment. The defense has witnesses they want to bring in from out of town. Jackson faces five years to life in prison. The state is pushing for life.
Watch Andre Jackson’s reaction after the judge read his guilty verdict:
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