Rushane Barnett, the man charged with the murders of a mother and her four children in Cocoa Piece, Clarendon in June, is to be sentenced today.

Barnett pleaded guilty to the charges in July when he appeared in the home circuit court in Kingston.

The victims are his cousins 31-year-old Kemesha Wright and her children 15-year-old Kimanda Smith, 12-year-old Sharalee Smith, five-year-old Rafaella Smith, and 23-month-old Keshawn Henry Jr.

They were found dead inside their homes on June 21 with stab wounds and their throats slashed.

The prosecution said it was seeking the death penalty in Barnett’s case.

Jamaica carried out its last execution in February 1988.