Jury recommends life in prison for contractor who killed Clay County woman who wanted money back

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A jury has decided that a man who killed Clay County woman Susan Mauldin in 2019 should face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Under current Florida law, at least eight of 12 jurors would have had to vote to sentence Corey Binderim to death.

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Seven voted for death for Binderim and five voted for life in prison without the possibility of parole after Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

Binderim, a former contractor and handyman, was convicted of first-degree murder on Monday. Jurors determined he killed Mauldin, his client, in October 2019.

Investigators believe Binderim killed Mauldin after she hired him to do some work on her Fleming Island home. He didn’t complete the job, and investigators said 65-year-old Mauldin wanted her money back.

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The closing arguments in the sentencing phase on Thursday morning primarily centered around aggravating factors or things that made Binderim’s crime worse than the average first-degree murder charge.

One includes a prior felony charge of Binderim’s back when he was 17 years old.

He was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for shooting three people, the prosecution pointed out, showing he meets the aggravating factor of a prior felony conviction of violence or threat of violence to another person.

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However, the defense argued that should not be given much weight, considering the crime happened 32-and-a-half years ago.

Now, Judge Steven B. Whittington will consider the jury’s verdict and will hand down Binderim’s sentence on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

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