Mario McNeill: 'I Lost My Freedom. It Doesn't Matter After That'

Tuesday morning in the Cumberland County Courthouse the sentencing hearing for Mario McNeill was underway in the eighth week of the trial. Last week McNeill was convicted on six of the seven charges by the jury panel in the death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis in November 2009.

After McNeill's lawyers spoke outside the courtroom before the penalty phase began, a mitigation specialist joined them and McNeill. Upon reentering the courtroom, defense attorney Terry Alford told Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons that they were at an impasse and that McNeill did not want them to participate in the sentencing hearing.

With compassion, Ammons asked McNeill in a myriad of ways if he was clear and understood that by unilaterally making this decision to go against his lawyers recommendations, he is giving up his chance to fight for his life.

McNeill said he understands that the death penalty is real in North Carolina and was smiling away at the Judge as he insisted that he does not want his lawyers to present evidence in the closing arguments.

"Tell me why you won't let your lawyers help you," Ammons said to McNeill.

"My goal was freedom. I lost my freedom. It doesn't matter after that," said McNeill.

The prosecution team continued their case for why McNeill should get the death penalty brining Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya Davis' father to the stand. Lockhart gave an emotional count of the 5-year-old's life and her dreams.

With no closing statements, the jury panel of 12 will begin deliberations Wednesday following the state's closings arguments.

McNeill was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, human trafficking with a child victim, sexual servitude with a child victim, sexual offense of a child and indecent liberties with a child. His sentence could be the death penalty or life without parole as decided by the jury.

North Carolina has not seen the death penalty since August 2006.