State to pursue death case against man accused in deadly stabbing of Orlando girl on Fourth of July
ORLANDO, Fla. - State prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for the man accused of stabbing an Orlando girl to death.
Orange County deputies said Jerry Dorisme raped and murdered 13-year-old Rose Dieujuste while she was walking to a friend's apartment on the Fourth of July.
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"We saw that the crime was committed. It was especially cruel and heinous," explained State Attorney Andrew Bain. "We decided that this was going to be the appropriate sentence, that it reached the level of just not a regular homicide penalty that we have under our law."
Dorisme has a hearing next month to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial.
Who is Jerry Dorisme?
According to neighbors, Dorisme was homeless, frequented the area, and was observed watching girls.
On the day of the alleged murder, Dorisme was spotted on video surveillance inside a store purchasing the kitchen knife that deputies said was used in Rose's murder.
Video footage from the Palmetto Lakeside Complex, where Rose and her family lived, showed Dorisme walking at a distance behind Rose minutes before she was killed, deputies said.
Jerry Dorisme's previous arrests
Dorisme previously served time for attacking an underage girl before and was originally charged with lewd and lascivious molestation which was later downgraded to aggravated child abuse.
Due to the downgraded charge, Dorisme never had to register as a sex offender. He had also been arrested multiple times before on domestic violence charges against a former girlfriend and later violated his restraining order.
Dorisme was also Baker acted just a few weeks before Rose was murdered. A 911 caller said Dorisme was walking down the street with a knife. When deputies responded, Dorisme punched two of the three responding deputies.
Family speaks out after 13-year-old found murdered in Orange County
Deputies said they caught Dorisme when he returned to the same spot walking around the apartment pool.
He is currently in the Orange County Jail
