Wichita ? Jurors decided Thursday evening two brothers convicted in the execution-style slayings of four friends on a snow-covered soccer field should be put to death.

It took jurors about seven hours to decide the fate of Reginald Carr, who turned 25 Thursday, and his brother Jonathan, 22, who were convicted last week of capital murder for the Dec. 15, 2000, deaths of four people, and of attempted murder for the shooting of a fifth person that day.

The brothers also were convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting of another woman four days before the Dec. 15 murders.

The Carrs showed no visible emotion as the sentences were read. But when the brothers were being taken from the courtroom, Mark Befort, a brother of one of the victims, sarcastically wished Reginald Carr a “Happy birthday,” followed by an expletive. Reginald Carr’s response was laced with profanity.

Jurors earlier this month returned capital murder convictions in the deaths of Aaron Sander, 29, Brad Heyka, 27, Jason Befort, 26, and Heather Muller, 25. All four were shot execution-style in the back of the head as they knelt side-by-side in the field.

Befort’s girlfriend, then a 25-year-old teacher, was also was shot in the head in the field, but escaped and ran naked through the snow to get help. She survived to testify against the brothers.

Many of the family members of the victims held hands with each other as the verdicts were read. Outside the courtroom, they tearfully hugged Dist. Atty. Nola Foulston. Family members have declined to comment until after Friday’s sentencing.

The Carr brothers’ mother, sister and a friend were also in the courtroom when the verdict was read. They too held hands with each other and blinked back tears. As the brothers were led away from the courtroom, the women shouted: “I love you.”

The grim details of a nine-day rampage have been closely monitored by a community still shaken nearly two years after the slayings. The trial has lasted more than two months.

The most notorious of the crimes happened during two days in December 2000 when two armed intruders entered a Wichita home. The two women and three men inside were forced to engage in sexual acts with each other and to withdraw money from ATMs. The women were repeatedly raped before the five friends were taken to the soccer field and shot.

Joe Wendell, one of the jurors, told reporters after the verdict was read that the pictures he saw of the four bodies in the field would never leave his mind. “It makes me look at life in a different perspective,” Wendell said.

Wendell declined to discuss specifics about deliberations, but said he made his decision based on the law. He said all the facts, testimony and evidence was considered.

“It was emotional because you can’t look and decide someone’s fate without feeling some emotion,” Wendell said.

Ron Evans, the attorney for Jonathan Carr, said his client was “not happy” after hearing the verdict.

“I feel real bad for Jonathan,” Evans said. “They convicted him of doing a bad thing, a horrible thing ” but I like him. That is what I told the jury. It is the truth.”

Jay Greeno, attorney for Reginald Carr, sat quietly outside the judge’s office after the proceedings. He said he didn’t yet know what to say, adding, “You always feel bad.”

Outside the courthouse, Foulston told reporters she spoke with several jurors who told her they wanted the e-mail addresses of the victims’ families so they could express their sympathy.

“The verdict was based on a justice system that worked,” Foulston said.

Defense attorneys, pleading with the jury to show the brothers’ mercy, argued jurors should consider that the Carrs were the product of an abusive household, as well as the fact Reginald Carr has three young children.

But, Foulston said after the verdict was announced, “There is no excuse for an individual’s conduct. You can’t blame your family for what went wrong in your life.”

Jurors last week convicted Reginald Carr of 50 counts for crimes committed during the nine-day crime rampage. Jonathan Carr was convicted on 43 counts. Most of the crimes ” 23 counts ” of which the brothers were convicted involved sexual crimes tied to the quadruple killing.

In addition to the four capital-murder counts for those killings, the brothers were also convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting of Wichita symphony cellist Ann Walenta, 55.

Reginald Carr also was convicted in a Dec. 7, 2000, abduction in which Andrew Schreiber was forced to withdraw cash from ATMs but was unharmed.

During the trial, the brothers tried to blame each other for the killings. Jonathan Carr’s attorney said his client was innocent of some of the crimes and that his brother was the leader in the quadruple murder. Reginald’s attorney contended that most DNA evidence pointed to Jonathan.

A sentencing hearing was set for 10 a.m. Friday, during which the judge will review and may confirm the death sentence. During that hearing, the judge also plans to begin sentencing the brothers on the numerous other crimes of which they were convicted.

Reginald Carr appeared in court with a heavy bandage on his left hand after breaking it Thursday morning during a fight in a holding area. Authorities said he was attacked by a fellow inmate and broke the hand defending himself.