Prosecutors to appeal Sampson ruling

BOSTON M.A. (WPRI) - Federal prosecutors are fighting to keep the admitted killer of three New England men on death row.

Gary Sampson was sentenced to death after pleading guilty to murdering three people during a 2001 killing spree, including Philip McCloskey, 69, of Taunton.

Last Fall, a federal judge awarded Sampson a new sentencing trial, saying his right to an impartial jury was violated.

Prosecutors now plan to appeal that ruling to avoid the possibility of a reduced sentence.