Jurors recommend that Luis Toledo

serve life in prison for killing his wife’s two children in 2013.

ST. AUGUSTINE — Jurors on Friday night recommended Luis Toledo be sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife’s two children in 2013. Luis Toledo, 35, was convicted of second-degree murder a week ago for killing his wife, Yessenia Suarez, 28. He faces up to life on that charge. Toledo was also convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Elijah Otto, 8. The same panel of nine women and three men that convicted him a week ago came to its decision in about four hours Friday. Assistant State Attorney Mark Johnson told jurors during his closing arguments that Toledo killed the children to eliminate them as witnesses in hopes of avoiding arrest for killing their mother. “There can be nothing more cold-hearted than the murder of an innocent child,” Johnson said. Defense attorney Michael Nielsen asked jurors to think of Toledo as a bird in their palms. “Luis is in your hand, and you have a choice to make,” he said. “You can either vote that he should be killed and tossed away, or you can take that little Luis bird and put him in a tiny little cage. Let him go for the rest of his life in misery in a little cage. You have that choice.” The killings took place four years ago in Deltona as Toledo’s marriage with Suarez came apart. Suarez had an affair with a co-worker and told Toledo she wanted a divorce. Toledo killed his wife Oct. 23, 2013, then killed the children to eliminate them as witnesses. Toledo then disposed of the bodies, which have not been found. Under a new state law, jurors must unanimously recommend death for the judge to have the option of imposing death. If the jury vote is not unanimous, then Toledo must be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Friday’s jury vote was 10-2.