Final answer:
Pizarro signed the death penalty for Atahualpa during the counsel of judges, despite receiving a ransom in gold, which underscored the brutal methods of Spanish conquest.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the counsel of 24 judges summoned by Francisco Pizarro to decide the fate of the Incan Emperor Atahualpa, it was ultimately Pizarro who signed the death penalty. Atahualpa had been taken prisoner after the massacre at Cajamarca, where thousands of Incas were killed. Despite the fact that a ransom was paid with immense amounts of gold, Pizarro made Atahualpa murder his own brother and then had Atahualpa executed, leaving no Incan king. This move was indicative of the ruthless tactics used by the Spanish conquistadors during the conquest of the Americas, similar to those practiced by Hernán Cortés in Mexico.