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GASTONIA, N.C. – After more than nine hours of deliberations over three days, a jury on Friday sentenced convicted killer Danny Hembree to the death penalty. Hembree was convicted last week of killing 17-year-old Heather Catterton.

The jury took Hembree's medical records and prior convictions into account to reach the unanimous death penalty sentence.

Following the reading of the sentence, Hembree apologized and said he hoped the sentence will bring some closure to Catterton's family. He also went on to read lyrics from a song.

Catterton's family said they had been hoping for a death sentence all along. Her father, Nick, said this sentence is “an eye for an eye.”

“This is not going to bring Heather back. I don't think there is ever going to be closure,” he said “Just some relief, some satisfaction.”

Hembree's family did not comment after the sentence was read. Hembree's son, Danny Hembree III, or Trey, who begged for his father's life earlier this week during testimony, shook his head in disbelief.

Jurors said they found two of the three aggravating factors – they only needed one to reach a death sentence. The one they did not agree to was that Catterton's murder was heinous, atrocious and cruel.

Meanwhile, the jurors in the Hembree trial are glad it's over. They say the last seven weeks of court proceedings have been exhausting and they're relieved to be able to go home.

A number of jurors spoke to News 14 Carolina but didn't want to appear on camera. They say coming to a verdict was rough, both emotionally and physically. They say they'll never forget what they saw and heard during the proceedings.

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