The then-teenage son of a Florida murder victim said he grabbed an air rifle

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – A triple murder in Jacksonville that is more than 20 years old will be re-solved in court this week.

Pinkney Carter was found guilty of murdering Elizabeth Reed (36), her boyfriend Glenn Pafford (49) and their teenage daughter Courtney Smith (16) in Arlington in 2002. Due to changes in the death penalty laws, his sentence will now be retried.

On Thursday, prosecutors asked a jury to recommend the death penalty.

“He made sure that each of those six shots hit its target,” said prosecutor Chris Huband.

Defense attorneys argue that Carter was “crazy” when he committed the murders and did not deserve to die.

“July 24, 2002 is a piece of the puzzle that is Mr. Carter's life,” the defense attorney said. “It's a significant piece, a horrific piece, an earth-shattering, life-changing piece, but it's just that – a piece.”

Reed's stepmother told News from First Coast Her family is hoping for the same outcome as before, when the jury recommended execution.

Reed's son, Rick Smith, was 14 years old when he testified he found the bodies of his mother, sister and his mother's boyfriend.

“What did you do?” the prosecutors asked.

“I jumped out of bed and grabbed my air rifle,” Smith said.

As Smith left the courtroom after his testimony, he appeared to be looking in the direction of his loved ones' killer.

Prosecutors said Carter fled to Mexico after the murders but was later captured in Kentucky and returned to Jacksonville in 2004. On Thursday, the court also heard testimony from several Jacksonville sheriff's officers who were at the crime scene, as well as a medical examiner.

Graphic photos of the victims' bodies were shown in court and several jurors appeared shocked by the images.