BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Testimony in the penalty phase of the Vincent Brothers murder trial continued Tuesday morning.

Brothers was found guilty in the slaying of his wife, three children and mother-in-law on May 15.

The defense called several friends and former co-workers to testify on Brothers behalf. His colleagues described Brothers as a caring and giving educator, ABC23 reported.

"The children would jump on him," said Cherry Jensen, a teacher at Freemont Elementary school where Brothers was a vice principal. Jensen said Brothers was popular with students.

Several boyhood friends of Brothers also took the stand. Each described Brothers as a friendly man looking to improve himself with education. Brothers received a college scholarship for wrestling.

"He was a nerd," said longtime friend Don Collier. He also described an incident in the late 1970s when Brothers helped rescue a friend's family after a bad car crash. Collier said the two received awards for heroism.

"Do you think a person who shoots a 70-year-old woman twice in the face is a giving, caring individual?" prosecutor Lisa Green asked Collier.

Collier responded, "No. I don't know an individual like that."

Green grilled each one of Brothers' boyhood friends. At one point, the jury was asked to leave the courtroom while the defense and prosecution argued.

"Are we going to be here for another three months while Mrs. Green cherry-picks the evidence?" argued defense attorney J. Anthony Bryant.

Green accused defense witnesses of bringing in character statements about Brothers and said she should be allowed to ask the witnesses if they knew Brothers "was convicted of slaughtering his family."

Testimony resumed with Brothers' oldest sister, Theral Barnard, taking the stand. Barnard described her brother as studious and well-liked growing up.

The defense is hoping the testimony will sway jurors to give Brothers life in prison instead of the death penalty for the murders of his family, ABC23 reported.