WASHINGTON, Pa. - Convicted murderer Terrell Yarbrough broke down sobbing as he addressed the families of his victims and apologized for his role in the May 31, 1999 murders of Aaron Land and Brian Muha.

Yarbrough was convicted of two counts of murder in the first degree in the murders of the two Franciscan University of Steubenville students Tuesday, and the penalty phase of the trial, including testimony from Land's and Muha's families and Yarbrough's family, began Wednesday. He was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment without parole and a term of 20 to 40 years for the conspiracy to commit criminal homicide conviction.

When Judge John DiSalle asked Yarbrough if he had a statement to make, Yarbrough, who had spent the majority of the trial slumped in his seat and looking down, said "yeah," and was allowed to approach the bar.

Instead of addressing the judge or jury, Yarbrough turned to the audience and spoke directly to the families of his victims, telling them he wanted them to know he had not shot Land or Muha, but he was sorry for his participation in the crime. He sobbed throughout his brief statement.

"No apology will be good enough," he said. "It won't change the facts. I'm sorry."

Yarbrough's family cried as he spoke to the victims' families.

Kathleen O'Hara, Land's mother, addressed Yarbrough, saying she appreciated the apology.

"This is the first time you've shown it (remorse)," she said. "That means something to me."

O'Hara also thanked the jury for their service.

Chris Muha, Brian Muha's brother, also addressed Yarbrough, telling him that the expression of remorse was a first step, but Yarbrough needed to accept that he is responsible for the deaths of his brother and Land. He then urged Yarbrough to take responsibility and change his life.

Rachel Muha, Muha's mother, told Yarbrough that he needed to change and attempt to live a good life, as his victims did.

"Terrell, we've been praying for you for 10 years now and to see you stand up and say what you said is a good start," she said. "We are going to keep praying for you. You can be just as good as they (Land and Muha) were, you can do it, you have our prayers to help you. We are depending on you to pray and change."

Yarbrough, 29, of Pittsburgh and his alleged accomplice, Nathan "Boo" Herring, 28, of Steubenville are accused of ordering Land, 20, of Philadelphia and Muha, 18, of Westerville, Ohio from their off-campus home into Muha's 1996 black Chevrolet Blazer, then driving them to a section of U.S. Route 22 near the Bavington exit in Robinson Township, Pa., where they were killed.

Yarbrough and Herring were found guilty in Jefferson County, but their murder convictions were overturned by the Ohio Supreme Court, which found that the murders took place in Pennsylvania.

Yarbrough also was convicted in Jefferson County of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, gross sexual imposition and theft and was sentenced to 59 years in prison. The state supreme court allowed those charges to stand.

Herring was sentenced to life in prison for the murders, a sentence which was vacated, and 65 years on other charges, which also stood. His murder trial in Washington County is pending.

(Wallace-Minger can be contacted at swallace@pafocus.com)