Life Without Parole For Man Convicted Of Murdering Tuscaloosa Police Officer

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa County jury on Thursday handed down a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for Luther Bernard Watkins Jr., who was convicted last week of capital murder in the 2019 killing of Tuscaloosa Police Department investigator Dornell Cousette.

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The sentence followed proceedings this week where jurors heard testimony from Cousette’s co-workers, friends and colleagues, along with arguments from both sides before deliberating on Watkins’ punishment.

The vote came down to seven jurors in favor of the life sentence while five voted to give Watkins the death penalty.

As Patch previously reported, Watkins was convicted last Friday of capital murder in Cousette’s death after a weeklong trial in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.

The jury consisted of four White women, three White men, two Black women and one Black man after three alternates were excused before deliberations began last Friday.

ALSO READ: 'Gonna Catch You Like Your Brother': Jail Admin Testifies About Luther Watkins' Conduct Ahead Of Sentencing

Prosecutors sought the death penalty in the case, arguing Watkins knowingly killed a law enforcement officer while the investigator was attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a residence on 33rd Avenue on Sept. 16, 2019.

The state also cited the main statutory aggravating circumstance that the victim was an on-duty police officer as one that had already been established.

District Attorney Hays Webb delivered the closing arguments for the state on Thursday and reminded the jury of all of the testimony that spoke to how much Cousette cared about those he protected, particularly children in his work as a juvenile investigator.

He briefly mentioned testimony of Cathy Wood, the executive director of Freedom Farm and former director of the juvenile detention center who often worked with Cousette.

On the stand earlier this week, Wood reflected on the impact and legacy left by Cousette at the facility, testifying students and residents at the juvenile detention center paid homage to his memory through a mural.

"Why did they love and respect him?," Webb said on Thursday. "Because he loved and respected them first."

He also tasked the jury with considering the three aggravating factors when considering the death penalty:

1. That Cousette was on duty or serving in a law enforcement capacity when he was murdered
2. That the capital murder prevented the arrest
3. That the capital murder was intended to hinder government or law enforcement functions.

"They highlight how unnecessary this killing was," Webb said.

Defense attorney Christopher Daniel addressed the jury ahead of their deliberations and briefly mentioned two mass shootings where the convicted killers did not get the death penalty.

"This was a choice he made," Daniel said of his client. "He's not the best of us but he's certainly not the worst."

Daniel also argued that at no point during the trial proceedings or sentencing hearings was there any evidence presented as to why Watkins fired the shot that killed Cousette, before then mentioning that none of Cousette's family or friends who testified specifically asked for the death penalty.

"The last thing he is ever going to be given is knowledge that he will die in prison," Daniel said.

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