At the end of June, a Wake County judge declared a mistrial in a highly publicized Raleigh-area criminal case. The 37-year-old defendant was accused of the murder of his pregnant wife. After three days of deliberating, the jury was unable to come to a decision. The judge had urged the panel to settle the matter, saying that he did not believe a different jury in a future trial would be able to do any better.
Prosecutors were not certain they would continue to pursue the defendant after the mistrial was declared. They would weigh their options and determine their next steps at a future hearing.
That hearing was this week, and the prosecutors have opted to retry the case.
The next jury will hear the same circumstantial evidence the first jury heard. They will hear that the victim’s bludgeoned body was found in the bedroom of the couple’s home, that the victim and the defendant had been married for three years. They will hear that evidence about a stop for gas and a print on the wall near where the victim was found.
The defendant testified during the first trial. Reports indicated that he adamantly denied the charges, insisting that he had been out of town at a conference the night of the murder.
Jurors have said they were deadlocked at eight to four to acquit after about 12 hours of deliberation. They have declined to comment any further.
It is unclear from reports if the court set a date for the retrial. The defendant has been in jail since the mistrial was declared. At the hearing this week, bail was set at $900,000.
Sources:
News & Observer, “Jason Young to be tried again for wife’s murder,” Anne Blythe, 07/20/2011
News & Observer, “Judge declares Jason Young trial a mistrial,” Anne Blythe, 06/27/2011