BENTON, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois man has been charged in federal court in a botched bank robbery that left two women dead.
James Watts of Cairo was indicted Tuesday on charges of attempted armed bank robbery resulting in death and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The 29-year-old was arrested after the May 15 holdup at the First National Bank in Cairo. Anita Jo Grace of Olive Branch and Nita Jo Smith of Wickliffe, Kentucky, both were stabbed to death. A third worker was stabbed but survived.
Tuesday's grand jury indictment includes special findings that make Watts eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted of attempted armed robbery resulting in a death. Prosecutors say they will decide later if they will pursue the death penalty.
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