Family members of Tina Jones hugged prosecutors Wednesday after an Escambia County jury recommended that her former boyfriend, Cedric Floyd, should be sentenced to death for her 2011 killing.

Her son, Kerrya Jones, said the family is happy the case is finally over.

“We’re happy justice has been served,” Jones said. “We are happy to finally have closure and that my mom can rest in peace.”

It took the jury less than 40 minutes to return the 11-1 vote in favor of the death penalty over life in prison without parole. Circuit Judge Bert Rice will have the final say on the sentence, during a hearing that is tentatively scheduled for January 2014.

Rice explained that the length of time between Wednesday’s hearing and the January sentencing hearing is largely based on the eight weeks or more he expects for a pre-sentence report to be finished, and some extra time for scheduling around the holidays.

During the trial, prosecutors said Floyd climbed into Jones’ window on the night of Jan. 2, 2011, and shot her three times with a gun he bought earlier that day.

The 12 members of the jury did agree unanimously on four aggravating factors that prosecutors from the State Attorney General’s office provided to help firm up their case for lethal injection.

During closing arguments during the penalty phase Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General John Hensley noted these factors, including that the crime was committed during a robbery, which made it a capital murder case. Hensley also pointed out that the offense took place while Floyd was on probation, that he had previously been convicted of rape and that this crime was especially heinous, as more reasons the jury should recommend death.

For more coverage of this story, pick up a copy of the Wednesday, Oct. 16, edition of The Atmore Advance.