Convicted man would rather die

Kenny L. Dessaure Jr. wants the death penalty "instead of being caged like an animal . . .'' in the slaying of his neighbor.

By ED QUIOCO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 12, 2001

LARGO -- Less than a week after he was convicted of slashing and killing his next-door neighbor, Kenny L. Dessaure Jr. has told the judge he wants to be sentenced to death.

The 23-year-old signed a three-sentence waiver that prevents his lawyers from arguing that he should get life in prison. That meant his attorneys could not call witnesses to testify on his behalf at a court hearing Tuesday in front of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Brandt C. Downey III.

"Further, I join the state in seeking a death sentence," according to Dessaure's waiver, which was filed with the court Tuesday.

After the hearing, Dessaure told 11 friends and family members that he loved them. Some left the courtroom in tears. They declined to comment.

Dessaure would rather die "instead of being caged like an animal for something he didn't do," said his attorney Michael S. Schwartzberg. "Let them complete the travesty."

Dessaure was convicted Sept. 5 of killing Cindy Riedweg, 27, after seeing her sunbathe outside her apartment in Oldsmar on Feb. 9, 1999. She was found lying naked on the hallway with 53 wounds on her face, neck, chest, hands and back.

Prosecutors argued at the hearing that the crime was heinous enough to warrant the death penalty. Riedweg's trachea was slashed, her face was cut several times, and some of her wounds were described as torturous.

Evidence showed that Riedweg was alive throughout much of the attack before she received the "death wounds" on her back that caused her lungs to collapse, said prosecutor Lydia Wardell.

Riedweg's mother and sister had prepared statements that were read to the judge. Riedweg's former supervisor and a friend also testified at the hearing.

Her sister Brenda Smith said in her statement that holidays are no longer the same for the family since her sister was murdered and asked how she was going to explain to her children what happened to their aunt.

"I am very stressed and confused," Smith said. "I need to know why it happened to my sister."

Rebecca Pierce, who was Riedweg's supervisor at Harborside Healthcare-Tampa Bay in Oldsmar, described Riedweg's warm personality and how she was willing to help anyone. Riedweg worked as a nursing assistant for about a year at the nursing and rehabilitation center for the elderly.

"She made our jobs easier," Pierce said. "She really inspired people to do better."

Dessaure, who left school in the ninth grade, has five children with five different women.

Downey scheduled another hearing on Dessaure's case Oct. 15 and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Dessaure told his attorneys that he would not participate in the report.

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