Joseph McEnroe, accused in the 2007 murders of Carnation couple Wayne and Judy Anderson, their adult son and his wife and two children, was sentenced to life in prison this afternoon.

The jury, after a week of deliberations on whether to sentence him to death, could not reach unanimous agreement on granting McEnroe leniency .

McEnroe was arrested Dec. 26, 2007, with his then-girlfriend Michele Anderson, for the Dec. 24 murders of her parents, brother and sister-in law, and their two children in their home outside Carnation.

His and Anderson’s trials were long delayed while the King County Prosecutor debated whether to request the death penalty and, after he decided to pursue it, the presiding judge tried to overturn that decision, but could not.

The trial for McEnroe began Jan. 20, and the jury found him guilty on all six counts of murder, on March 25. The jury convened on May 7 to decide whether he should get the death penalty for the murders.

Michele Anderson’s trial is expected to start this fall.