Edward James Rose By Catherine Holland
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a man's murder conviction and death sentence in the killing a Phoenix police officer in July 2007.
Edward James Rose was sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of Officer George Cortez Jr.
The shooting occurred in a check-cashing store where Cortez went when Rose attempted to cash a forged check.
Rose confessed to the killing in August 2010, saying he was high on meth. Rose pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, conspiracy, fraud, theft, forgery and burglary. A Maricopa County Superior Court jury sentenced him to death.
Jurors concluded there weren't sufficient grounds for leniency and that facts warranting a death sentence included that the victim was a law enforcement officer.