It was a brief statement read in court by Pinellas-Pasco Assistant state attorney Doug Ellis---"The state has elected to waive the death penalty in this case."
It's an interesting turn because prosecutors have indicated that they would pursue the death penalty against Jon Jonchuck if he's convicted of the first degree murder of his five-year-old daughter Phoebe.
She was dropped 62 feet from the Dick Meisner Bridge, an approach bridge to the massive Sunshine Skyway in January of 2015.
Jonchuck's mental state has been a focus of this case. He spent time in a state mental institution. But doctors have said he's ready to stand trial in late September.