may 3 , 2012, source : http://www.baynews9.com

Carlos Bello was originally sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Detective Gerald Rauft in 1981. A change in his sentencing means he will spend life in prison.

TAMPA 

The man convicted of killing a Tampa police detective more than 30 years ago will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

According to Bay News 9’s partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, Carlos Bello claimed for decades he was too mentally ill to understand his conviction.

Bello was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Detective Gerald Rauft in 1981. That sentence was later thrown out. Since then, Bello’s attorney said his client was too incompetent to understand court proceedings or his sentencing. But, last February a Hillsborough Circuit Judge declared Bello competent.

Within the past month Bello has shown an understanding of life in prison over a death sentence.

In court Wednesday he said understood perfectly that the court was offering life behind bars instead of the death penalty.