Fair Death Penalty Verdict?

From Firehouse.com: A jury recommended death on Friday for an arsonist convicted of murdering five men who died of heart attacks during a wildfire that ripped through Southern California nearly a decade ago.
The murder charges against Rickie Lee Fowler, 31, signaled a tough standard for arson cases in a region plagued by wildfires that sometimes claim the lives of firefighters and civilians.
The Old Fire scorched 91,000 acres and destroyed 1,000 buildings while burning for nine days. The men died after their homes burned or as they tried to evacuate.
Superior Court Judge Michael A. Smith ordered Fowler to return to court Nov. 16 for sentencing. The judge can either accept the jury's recommendation or sentence Fowler to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Fowler, who wore a pinstriped shirt, spoke briefly with his attorney after the recommendation was read. He was handcuffed and led down a hall by bailiffs.
Jurors declined to speak with reporters outside the courtroom.
Defense attorney Michael Belter said he spoke with one of them afterward and was told that during the panel's lengthy deliberations jurors went back and forth on whether to recommend a life sentence or death.
"We still take the position that if one is not involved with the intentional killing of somebody, the death penalty would not be warranted," Belter said of the defense's position.  http://www.firehouse.com/news/10796210/death-penalty-for-arsonist-blamed-for-five-heart-attack-deaths
I am a person who supports the death penalty and would like to see it happen more often and get rid of the lengthy appeals process.
In this case, I just don't see the justification of the death penalty.  The deaths were not per-mediated, the heart attacks could have contributing factors such as the age, health, life style habits, medical history and how good of shape the victims were in at the time of their deaths.
Of course, the guy needs to be punished and life in prison may be appropriate, but the death penalty?  I don't think so.