MIAMI -- He pleaded guilty to murdering crew members aboard the Joe Cool charter boat. Now, Kirby Archer will serve five consecutive life sentences and will never see the outside of a prison.

On Tuesday, Archer was sentenced in federal court in Miami. Four of the life terms are for the four victims, the fifth term is for a conspiracy charge to overtake the "Joe Cool" and kill the crew.

The death penalty was taken off the table in exchange for Archer pleading guilty to the murders. On Tuesday morning, in court, Archer said he deserved to die.

Archer said he killed Captain Jake Branam and Branam's wife, Kelley. He said Guillermo Zarabozo, who chartered the boat with him, murdered crew members Scott Gamble and Samuel Kairy. The four crew members were shot and thrown overboard.

Prosecutors said Archer was fleeing child molestation and theft charges and had planned to use the "Joe Cool" to escape to Cuba.

He and Zarabozo were found adrift in the vessel's life boat.

Zarabozo will stand trial again in January. Earlier this month, his trial earlier ended in a mistrial on most charges, including murder.

“I wish I could take back what happened,” Archer said to the victims' family during sentencing. “They did not do anything wrong to me. They did not do anything wrong to anybody. They did not suffer, it was instantaneous."

"Hell is waiting for you," a family member read from a written statement.

Kelley Branam’s friend, Jenny Martinez, said the attempt at an apology did not mean anything.

“I wish he could have gotten the death penalty,” she said.

Relatives say they don't have closure, in large part because the bodies were never found.

"The only grave we have is the ocean," said Amy Gamble, Jake Branam half-sister.

In the months following the killings, an expensive and often contentious custody battle over the Branams' young son and daughter dragged on in family court. Kelley's sister is now caring for the children.

Taylor, who is now 3, pretends to phone her mother and ask, "Mommy, when are you coming home?"