FLORENCE — Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for an Arizona inmate if he's found guilty of killing his cellmate in a Florence prison in 2011.
The Florence Reminder and Blade-Tribune reports the first-degree murder trial began Monday for Zachary Eggers, who is charged in the death of 25-year-old Jeremy Pompeneo.
Prosecutor Vince Goddard told the court that Eggers ambushed Pompeneo inside the cell, killing him after several punches and smashing his head into a wall.
Eggers' attorney Bret Huggins argued the death was not premeditated, noting there were no conflicts between the two men documented.
Eggers was serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2005 of killing his parents near Douglas.
Pompeneo was also serving a life sentence after he was convicted of killing his girlfriend in 2006.
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Information from: Casa Grande Dispatch.
