Men get death penalty in 2008 slayings of Marine and his wife

A jury in Riverside County recommended the death penalty Thursday for two men convicted of killing a Marine sergeant and his wife.

Emrys John, 23, and Tyrone Miller, 25, were sentenced to death for their roles in the 2008 slayings in the French Valley neighborhood of southern Riverside County. A third defendant, Kevin Cox, 25, was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

All three men are former Marines.

They were convicted of killing Sgt. Jan Pietrzak, 24, and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26, who were bound and gagged before they were shot in the head, prosecutors said.

Jenkins-Pietrzak was raped while her husband was forced to watch, and a fire was set to destroy evidence, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said the attackers stormed into the couple’s home as part of a robbery scheme.

Two of the defendants worked with Pietrzak, an Iraq war veteran who was stationed at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego.

Jenkins-Pietrzak was a counselor with a Riverside County infant care program. The couple had been married for two months.

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