Death sentence of Va. inmate who strangled cellmate upheld

A divided federal appeals court has upheld the death sentence of a Virginia federal inmate who stole his cellmate's breakfast then strangled him with a bath towel for complaining about it.

The 2-1 ruling Wednesday by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirms a federal jury's decision that Carlos Caro should be put to death for the 2003 slaying at the U.S. penitentiary in Lee County.

Caro was eligible for the federal death penalty because of previous drug convictions. He raised several issues on appeal, all of which were rejected by the panel majority.

Judge Roger Gregory wrote in a dissenting opinion that Caro should be spared the death penalty because his drug offenses were nonviolent.

-- Associated Press