Gobert sentenced to death

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The jury deliberated for three hours before recommending the death penalty for Milton Dwayne Gobert.

Gobert was physically removed from the courtroom after a loud, expletive-laden tirade while the victim's sister addressed the court.

Ethel McPherson, the victim's sister who made the 911 call, was speaking when Gobert began shouting obscenities at her and about her deceased sister. 

State District Judge Bob Perkins  quickly ordered Gobert removed from the courtroom.

Gobert was convicted last week of the 2003 stabbing death of Mel "Nina" Cotton.

Gobert, 37, stabbed 30-year-old Mel "Nina" Cotton to death while attempting to kidnap and rob her. Cotton was a friend of Gobert's ex-girlfriend. Cotton's 5-year-old son also was injured in the attack.

Closing arguments began at 4:30 p.m. in the sentencing phase of capital murderer Milton Gobert's trial. The arguments wrapped up at 5:30 p.m. and the jury started deliberating.

After conferring with his defense team for almost half an hour, Gobert decided to take the stand in his own defense against the advice of his attorney Wednesday afternoon. The state said, during the trial, that at this point, Gobert has nothing to lose.

Gobert's attorney Leonard Martinez was concerned about Gobert taking the stand, saying "the jury will seek to dehumanize you."

"They've done enough to dehumanize me," Gobert responded. "I'm not concerned."

Below is an extended interview with Martinez after the death sentence came:

During the defense's questioning, Gobert described being raised in a household where he felt like he was treated differently than his siblings by his step-father. Gobert is actually his step-father's last name, which his mother changed after she married him. Gobert claimed he did not feel loved or appreciated by his mother. He said on the stand that his childhood was full of verbal and mental abuse. Gobert said he hated his mother for his childhood as well as changing his name, but learned to love her when he got older.

He broke down into tears when he mentioned meeting his biological father at age 14. Up to that point, Gobert said, he had hated his actual father. He had never met him, but was also told often times when he would get into trouble that he was going to be like "his alcoholic and abusive father." Gobert said he grew to love his father as well. He said he learned much later that his birth last name was Epperson.

The prosecution cross-examined Gobert just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, following questioning by the defense.

Gobert said he was not in the right frame of mind when he killed Mel Cotton.

"I was in a rage, fearful, terrified state of mind," said Gobert.

The prosecution asked Gobert about his abuse allegation against his mom. He said he was once beaten with a curtain rod, which cut his arm down "to the white meat."He also said his mother cut him with a knife on the back of his hand once.

Gobert's decision to take the stand came after Tasha Lass, the jailer in trouble for possibly cooperating with Milton Gobert while he was in prison, took the stand again Wednesday to talk about her relationship with him.

Lass testified on Wednesday that Gobert called her from jail on her personal cell phone number as recent as a week ago. She said he was the only one from the Travis County Jail that has her personal cell number.

She said since her arrest last week after police found out about her involvement with Gobert, that Gobert has called her several times, but she said she did not answer any of his calls.

Lass' new attorney, Jon Evans, revealed proof of Lass' missionary work, former police work in Chattanooga and college career with honors. He also showed a recommendation letter from her previous police work. The district attorney told the judge that Lass left that police department on good terms.

The jury was asked to leave the courtroom while the defense had a chance to review her accolades. This came after Lass' testimony on Monday when Gobert's defense team was granted another day to review her past and try to discredit her as a witness.

KXAN producer Daniel Bramlette and photojournalists Julie Karam and Chris Nelson contributed to the coverage.