John Couey, right, speaks with assistant public defender Alan Fanter during a hearing to determine his mental state. Judge Ric Howard ruled that Couey's not retarded and can face the death penalty.

Day of reckoning
for Couey
A judge is scheduled to decide on Friday the fate of John Couey, convicted in March in the rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford. In this newly released recording of a jailhouse conversation with his aunt, Virginia Kloetzer, Couey seems resigned to receiving the death sentence. This audio was excerpted by the Times from a more than hour-long recording.
Play audio:

You will need the free iTunes player, QuickTime or other mp3 player to hear the audio.