Washington County jury sentences Mt. Washington man to death

A Washington County jury Thursday sentenced a Mt. Washington man to die for the 2012 murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Jordan Clemons, 26, was found guilty Monday of homicide, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and other charges relating to the death of 21-year-old Karissa Kunco.

Arguments in the penalty phase began Tuesday and lasted through Thursday morning. The jury deliberated less than four hours.

Police say Clemons lured Kunco to a remote area and slashed her throat — at least four times, according to the autopsy.

Kunco was reported missing Jan. 11, 2012. Surveyors found the Baldwin woman's naked body a day later in a wooded area in Mt. Pleasant in Washington County.

She had obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Clemons one month earlier because she claimed he beat her, according to court records.

Clemons' defense argued that his history of drug abuse and brain damage from years of playing football factored into his ability to form criminal intent, though experts said there was no way to determine whether those issues contributed to the murder.