Rodriguez juror shocked, confused with order that throws out death penalty

FARGO (KVRR) – A jury member who handed down Alfonso Rodriguez’s death penalty sentence says he disagrees with the judge who overturned the death penalty.

Luke Lillehaugen was one of 12 jurors who unanimously found Rodriguez guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death in 2006.

Lillehaugen says he was shocked when he found out that Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ralph Erickson overturned the death sentence.  He recalled Erickson meeting with jurors following their decision.

“I am just so confused about why he’s doing this,” Lillehaugen told KVRR’S Emily Welker.

Lillehaugen says while he has no regrets about his decision while serving on the jury, it’s also not an experience he would care to repeat.

You can see more from the interview on KVRR Local News Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  The full interview will be on the KVRR Morning Show Wednesday at 7:00 a.m.