Mistrial declared once more in Las Vegas demise penalty case as jury deadlocks

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Clark County District Courtroom decide declared a mistrial Thursday after jurors introduced they have been deadlocked in deciding the end result of a demise penalty homicide trial. It marks the second mistrial within the state’s try to strive Anthony Newton.

Newton is on trial for the brutal 2016 homicide and dismemberment of Ulysis “Cesar” Molina, whose sister testified that her brother disappeared on Christmas 2016.

Newton and his brother-in-law, police and prosecutors say, stuffed Molina’s physique in a suitcase, took it to a house in east Las Vegas and hacked up his torso. Newton later drove his stays to a vacant lot, doused it with gasoline and set it on fireplace, they mentioned. Prosecutors imagine Newton killed Molina as a result of Molina slept with Newton’s then-wife whereas Newton was serving a jail sentence.

“I received a note from our foreperson… that the jury was deadlocked at this point and that no further deliberations would aid in that process,” Decide Jacqueline Bluth introduced to the courtroom.

“So you’re hung on every one of those because you could not reach a unanimous decision?” Bluth requested the jury foreperson, who indicated that one juror had instructed the opposite jurors additional deliberation could be “pointless.” The foreperson clarified that that individual juror wouldn’t change his thoughts.

The jury heard closing arguments Tuesday. The jury deliberated for roughly two full days earlier than it introduced its impasse. Over per week of testimony, jurors heard from police in addition to crime scene and DNA analysts who mentioned they tied blood and different proof to Newton. However Newton’s attorneys have mentioned the state’s case was flawed.

At Thursday’s listening to, Bluth polled every juror to see in the event that they agreed with the representations made by the foreperson, and so they all answered within the affirmative.

“I can tell on your faces that there’s a lot of frustrations and I understand that,” Bluth mentioned. 

Late final 12 months, Bluth declared a mistrial as a result of one witness who testified as a state’s witness made feedback about Newton serving jail time. That testimony, she mentioned on the urging of Newton’s attorneys, would make it inconceivable for Newton to obtain a good trial.