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Family members of Derrick McFarland, one of the men murdered in August 2006 by William Morva, said this afternoon they don't necessarily support the dealth penalty but believe it was the right sentence for Morva.

After deliberating for three hours this afternoon, a Washington County jury recommended that Morva be put to death for each of three counts of capital murder they convicted him of two days ago.

Morva will be formally sentenced by the judge June 23.

As the verdicts were read, Morva smiled and snapped his fingers, an action that upset some of the victims' family members.

"Like he won the lottery," McFarland's father, Harold McFarland, said outside the courtroom.

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The jury returned to the courtroom with the recommendation that William Morva be sentenced to death.

Morva was found guilty Tuesday on all charges: three counts of capital murder, two counts of use of a firearm in commission of murder, assault and battery of a law enforcement officer and escaping with force.

Before the jury began to deliberate at 12:30 p.m. whether to sentence William Morva to life in prison or the death penalty, they listened to the prosecution and the defense make their final arguments in the case.

Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Finch told jurors that Morva is a future danger to society and should be put to death.

What makes Morva so dangerous, he said, "is that he is both extremely intelligent and also extremely violent.

"In a split second, this defendant can go from calm and friendly and composed to deadly, brutal and violent," Finch said, reminding jurors that they had heard testimony that Morva was friendly to hospital workers just before he beat a deputy unconscious and killed hospital security guard Derrick McFarland.

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Jurors just heard closing statements in the case of William Morva and have gone to the jury room to deliberate.

Defense attorney Tony Anderson told jurors that life in prison would be the ultimate punishment for Morva, who by his actions has made it clear that he does not want to be locked up.

Prosecutor Brad Finch told them that Morva has shown his hatred for law enforcement officers and that if were locked up, prison guards would be in danger.

Jurors have only two options for punishment: life in prison or the dealth penalty. Their decision must be unanimous.

An hour after court was scheduled to start this morning, people are still milling about the courthouse, waiting for things to get under way.

It's unclear what is causing the delay. Prosecutors and defense attorneys could be discussing jury instructions.

When court starts this morning, it's expected that jurors will first hear their instructions and then closing arguments before beginning to deliberate about William Morva's sentence: life in prison or the death penalty. The 12 jurors' decision must be unanimous.

The courtroom is crowded today, with several of the people who testified for Morva yesterday sitting behind the defense table and nearly a dozen law enforcement officers in plain clothes on the prosecution's side.

After the defense announced that it had rested its case, Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs told jurors it would be a good time to let them go for the day. They were instructed to return at 8:45 a.m., when they will hear their instructions for the sentencing phase and closing statements from the prosecution and the defense.

Morva's mother, Elizabeth Morva, has had to stay outside the courtroom for the entire trial in case she was later called to testify. The defense did not call her and she was finally allowed in, just before court adjourned for the day.

Attendance today has been high, with several Montgomery County deputies in plainclothes sitting on the prosecution's side of the room and many of Morva's friends choosing to sit on the defense side after they had testified for him.

Several of Morva's supporters gasped today when they learned that he is kept locked up for 23 hours a day at the New River Valley Regional Jail.

The defense has rested in the sentencing phase of William Morva's trial. Morva did not testify.

Dr. Bruce Cohen, a forensic psychiatrist who conducted extensive interviews with Morva and his family members and reviewed documents related to Morva, just took the witness stand and testified that he found Morva to have schizotypal personality disorder and narcissistic tendencies.

Also, he said, Morva's IQ is in the range of "superior intelligence" and is in contrast to the "very little he has accomplished" in his life.

In conversations with Morva, he said, he found that Morva had planned his escape - but not necessarily the murders -- in advance.

Cohen is the thirteenth witness to testify for the defense today.

Morva's mother has not taken the stand, and it's unclear if she will.

Jurors have heard from six people this morning who knew William Morva in happier times, from his guidance counselor to several high school friends.

They have described him as a friendly, smart person who cared a great deal about other people. One said he was against guns.

After a short break, the prosecution has said it has finished presenting its case against Morva.

Court has adjourned for the day. The defense will begin presenting witnesses tomorrow morning in an attempt to convince the jury that Morva should be sentenced to life in prison and not to death.