Double death penalty sought

PROSECUTORS in Florida say they will seek the death penalty against a couple accused in the murder of their 10-year-old adopted daughter.

Prosecutor Gail Levine made the announcement as Jorge and Carmen Barahona appeared in a Miami-Dade County courtroom. The couple, who face first-degree murder charges and a slew of child abuse and neglect charges, both pleaded not guilty.

Jorge Barahona cried in court and wore a vest used for inmates on suicide watch.

Authorities say for months the parents hit twins Victor and Nubia with a shoe, whip or broom, bound their hands and feet, and locked them in a bathroom, sometimes for days.

Nubia’s body was found on Valentine’s Day in a black rubbish bag in the back of Jorge Barahona’s truck.

Victor, who survived, was doused in a toxic chemical.

The case has also cast a spotlight on the Department of Children and Families, which approved the adoption.