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Man Accused Of Killing Family Faces Death Penalty

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Nov 5, 2009 12:55 pm US/Eastern

Man Accused Of Killing Family Faces Death Penalty

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Trial is underway for a convicted sex offender accused of raping and murdering his wife's two children before stabbing her to death.

According to prosecutors Grady Nelson, 52, stabbed his wife more than 60 times before slashing her throat and plunging a butcher knife into her skull.

Grady's sexual misconduct with his mentally handicapped 11-year-old step-daughter is possibly what triggered the killing spree, according to prosecutors. Nelson allegedly had sex with his step-daughter on a number of occasions. He was eventually charged and briefly jailed. Charges however were eventually dropped because prosecutors said the girl gave inconsistent statements, according to CBS4 news partners The Miami Herald.

After being released from jail, Nelson allegedly went home the next morning, where police found him with a knife, covered in blood.

Nelson reportedly admitted to Miami-Dade police detectives in a videotaped confession that he had sexually assaulted his 11-year-old step-daughter and 13-year-old step-son that day before killing them. Afterwards however he changed his story.

According to defense attorney David S. Markus, Nelson came home and discovered the bodies and was coerced by police into giving a false confession. Markus says the real killer was Andrew Hall, 62, the boyfriend of the children's grandmother. Prosecutors say there is no evidence to prove that Hall had any role in the murders.

Nelson worked for the Miami-Dade Human Services Department in 2000 despite a rape conviction on his record. Back in 1991 he was charged with the rape of a 7-year-old neighbor.



(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

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