A serial killer had a surprising reaction for those responsible for sending him to death row.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Andrew Urdiales was found guilty of murdering five women across Southern California in crimes dating back to the late 1980s.

The former Marine received five death sentences during the penalty phase of his trial this month.

He had already been locked up for life on convictions connected to three of the murders.

In accepting his sentence, Urdiales offered praise for those who made the case against him and the jurors who sealed his fate.

“I understand how they voted and if I was a juror on my case I probably would have done the same thing,” he said.

Without indicating that they made the right decision, he said he “understood and respect” it.

The father of one of his victims said that Urdiales’ attitude toward the jury matters little to him.

“My religion says I must forgive, but I’ve asked God to have mercy on my soul because I cannot do it,” Charles Erwin said. “I had to see my daughter. I had to look at what he did to her. And that hurt.”

[Featured image: Andrew Urdiales, video screenshot]