A Federal Court jury on Tuesday afternoon ruled the death penalty for 24-year-old Rejon Taylor in the 2003 shooting of Atlanta restaurant operator Guy Luck.
Defense attorney Bill Ortwein said he is "100 percent sure that this decision will be overturned."
He said the decision to seek the death penalty was made "by Nazis in the Bush Justice Department" because the victim was white and the defendant black.
He said, "The people can rejoice that come January, no matter who wins the election, those who believe in torture at the Justice Department will be gone."
Attorney Ortwein said, "There are many more heinous murder cases in this county."
The jury earlier in the day appeared deadlocked, but Judge Curtis Collier just before lunch asked the jurors to continue seeking to "work out your differences."
It was the first federal death penalty case in East Tennessee.
To find the death penalty applied, the jury had to find there were more "aggravating factors" than "mitigating factors."
No execution date was set.
Taylor, who was 19 years old at the time of the abduction and murder, showed no emotion.
Afterwards, he shook hands with attorneys Bill and Lee Ortwein, then hugged attorneys Howell Clements and Leslie Corey. Then he was handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom.
Attorney Bill Ortwein said Taylor is "upset, frustrated and totally depressed."
The jury earlier found Taylor guilty of first-degree murder, carjacking and robbery, then returned for the penalty phase.
Prosecutor Steve Neff had earlier told the jury that Taylor masterminded the carjacking and kidnapping, then fatally shot him in the mouth.
Defense attorney Bill Ortwein said the government's two star witnesses - co-defendants Joey Marshall and Sir Jack Matthews - had told multiple stories about what happened on Aug. 6, 2003. He said they were getting off with life sentences - or less, depending on their cooperation with the government.