Stabbed and burned: First murder trial in Miami-Dade seeking death penalty after law change

On Thursday, the trial began for Robert Holton, who is accused of killing 22-year-old Kayla Gloster in 2013.

According to prosecutors, Gloster was found in a pool of blood inside her apartment at the Villa Capri complex in Homestead.

“She was beaten, she was stabbed, evidence will show she was strangled, and she was drowned,” said Scott Warfman, Assistant State Attorney.

On Thursday, state attorneys presented opening statements and brought in Gloster’s mother to tell the jury how great of a person her daughter was.

“Smart, intelligent, sociable, witty, fun to be around, and very caring and loving,” said Tangela Johnson as she described her daughter.

Holton is facing murder and arson in the first degree. If convicted of murder, the trial will move into the death penalty phase, where a jury will recommend death or life in prison.

Holton’s trial is the first one in Miami-Dade that will honor a new death penalty law that went into effect April 20. A unanimous vote is no longer needed to recommend death — eight jurors out of 12 could recommend it.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed this new law after the Parkland shooter’s life was spared. Nine jurors voted for the death penalty after he plead guilty, and three went against it. Because a unanimous vote was not reached, the shooter was sentenced to life in prison.

Robin Maher with the Death Penalty Information Center told NBC6 it will be a lot easier for prosecutors to convince eight people instead of 12.

“For the past few years, we have seen a consistent trend from using the death penalty so few new death sentences and fewer executions," Maher said. "Florida seems to be moving in a direction where there will be more death sentences and that should be something worth thinking about."

Holton has said he's innocent and believes someone else killed the woman he once dated. The trial continues Friday.