Appeals Court Upholds Sentence In Murder Of Tulsa Teen Kayla Ferrante

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the life sentence for the man who killed Tulsa teenager Kayla Ferrante in 2012.

A judge sentenced Edwin Daniels to life for killing Kayla Ferrante. She had just graduated from Memorial High School when she was shot and killed while riding in a car with her boyfriend.

Jurors found Edwin Daniels guilty of murder and guilty of shooting with intent to kill. The jury recommended life in prison.

Prosecutors said Daniels fired the shot thinking a rival gang member was inside the car.

6/17/2014: Related Story: Jury Finds Man Guilty In Murder Of Kayla Ferrante

He appealed his sentence, saying the trial judge had mistakenly instructed the jury that it had to give Daniels a $10,000 fine, that the judge didn't instruct the jury about the credibility of informers, that he didn't receive effective counsel and that prosecutors committed misconduct during closing arguments.

In a 5-0 decision, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected all four appeals. It said the judge did make a mistake about the fine, but the mistake did not result in a miscarriage of justice. It also ruled that the jury was well aware of the credibility of the informer who testified in the trial.

The court also ruled Daniels did not prove that his counsel was ineffective. The court's ruling also says the comments made by the prosecutor during closing arguments did not deprive Daniels of a fair trial.