Melvin Knight was branded "one of the worst" criminals in Pennsylvania history following the sadistic slaughter of Jennifer Daugherty, who had learning difficulties.
An appeal hearing jury took around seven hours deliberating his fate before agreeing he should be given the lethal injection.
They heard how Knight and five others spent two days torturing the 30-year-old at their apartment in Greensburg. She was raped before being beaten and stabbed to death.
Knight and his cronies then bizarrely wrapped their victim's body in Christmas lights and a garland, before dumping it in a high school car park.
Ironically Knight, 30, begged jurors not to end his life even though he and his pals took a vote to kill Ms Daugherty before the February 2010 slaying.
His defence team also argued his life should be spared as he was too "mentally challenged" to face execution and should be sentenced to life in prison instead.
Earlier, prosecutor John Peck told how Knight killed his victim to cover up the horrific rape and torture he had inflicted on her, reports Trib Live.
Peck said: “Melvin Knight helped kidnap, terrorise and kill Jennifer Daugherty … Return the proper verdict, which, in this case, is death.”
Knight and two of his fellow killers – Amber Meidinger and Ricky Smyrnes – were condemned to die.
The killer was described as a ‘man-child’ by his attorney Tim Dawson as he tried to convince jurors to sentence him to life in prison. He is said to have a mental age of between nine and 12.
Ms Daugherty’s three other killers have all been sentenced to 30 years to life in jail without parole.
“Jennifer has finally gotten justice again,” said Daugherty’s mother, Denise Murphy, outside the courtroom after the verdict.
As Daugherty’s family members embraced, Knight showed no emotion as he was led from the courtroom.
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