ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – James Colley, Jr., apologized in court Tuesday morning for the murders of his estranged wife and her best friend, calling their killings a "terrible accident."
"This was a horrible, terrible accident," he said. "I wish it would have been different, but it's not, and I'm sorry for all parties involved."
Colley, 38, went before a judge for what's called a Spencer hearing, which typically is the last chance for a defendant facing the death penalty to persuade the court to spare his life.
The defense called one witness during the hearing. A St. Johns jail deputy said Colley has stayed out of trouble in custody, only getting write-ups for things like sharing his pin number with another inmate.
In addition, the defense asked the court to take into account that Colley's father is bedridden and in poor health. His attorney noted that Colley had no felony convictions before this case.
It is now up to Circuit Judge Howard Maltz to decide whether Colley deserves life or death, but it would be unusual for him to go against the wishes of the jury.
In July, jurors unanimously recommended putting Colley to death after they found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the high-profile case.
Colley killed his estranged wife, Amanda, and her best friend, Lindy Dobbins, when he went on a shooting spree inside the couple’s upscale St. Johns County home in August 2015.
He was arrested after a traffic stop in Virginia hours later and has been in custody ever since. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 30.