Jury recommends death penalty for man convicted in estranged wife's murder

1st unanimous death penalty verdict in 7th Judicial Circuit under new rules

Sean Bush

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – After deliberating for about three hours Thursday, a St. Johns County jury voted 12-0 to recommend the death penalty for a man convicted in the brutal murder of his estranged wife. 

It's the first unanimous death penalty verdict in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court under the new sentencing rules.

Recommended Videos



Sean Bush was found guilty of killing Nicole Bush in her Julington Creek home in 2011. She had been shot in the head, stabbed and beaten with a baseball bat. She could not identify her assailant before she died, but investigators found Sean Bush’s DNA on the bat handle.

Shortly after the murder, detectives learned that Bush called two insurance companies to ask about two policies for which he was the beneficiary.