Chandler killer sentenced to die By Jim Walsh away." ment, which was splattered The Arizona Republic But the verdict was a relief with her blood. Morane was to April McBee, victim Joan Gomez's next-door neighbor. Minutes after he was sen- Morane's sister. Jay Morane, Gomez's sentencing was tenced to death, a convicted who was divorced from Joan delayed when Arizona's death murderer defiantly pro- before her death, was over- penalty law was overturned claimed his innocence and come by tears. by the U.S. Supreme Court, said his sentence is "very im- Joan, 36, an Arizona State which found that only juries proper." University student, was sexu- can impose death sentences. Jurors deliberated for 2½ ally assaulted, and prosecu- "I'm so happy and relieved. days before sentencing Fabio tors said Gomez, a former mi- I feel like it was a very just Gomez, 35, to death for the nor-league baseball player, sentence," said McBee, of St. bludgeoning of a Chandler used a dumbbell to pound her Petersburg, Fla. "I don't think woman whose body was head with at least 18 blows. A he can be tortured as much as dumped in a garbage bin at an different jury found him what he did to my sister." apartment complex on Dec. 2, guilty in March 2001 of first- Judge James Keppel of 1999. degree murder, sexual assault Maricopa County Superior "Is this how they do justice and kidnapping. Court also sentenced Gomez in Arizona?" Gomez said, ar- Gomez was linked to the to 21 years for kidnapping and guing that Chandler police vi- murder by DNA evidence. 14 years for sexual assault, to olated his rights. "How con- Morane's DNA was found on be served consecutive to the venient it will be to take a life the dumbbell inside his apart- death sentence.