Current:Home > BackProsecutors reconvene after deadlocked jury in trial over Arizona border killing-LoTradeCoin
Prosecutors reconvene after deadlocked jury in trial over Arizona border killing
View Date:2024-12-23 23:34:52
PHOENIX (AP) — Prosecutors are headed back to court Monday afternoon to announce whether they will retry an Arizona rancher after a jury deadlocked last week over whether or not to convict him in the shooting of a Mexican man on his property.
The jurors in the case against George Alan Kelly were unable to reach a unanimous decision on a verdict after more than two days of deliberation. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink declared a mistrial on April 22.
After the mistrial, the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office has the option to retry Kelly — or to drop the case.
The 75-year-old Kelly had been on trial for nearly a month in Nogales, which is on the border with Mexico. The rancher had been charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2023, killing of 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea outside Nogales, Arizona.
Cuen-Buitimea had lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He was in a group of men that Kelly encountered that day on his cattle ranch. His two adult daughters, along with Mexican consular officials, met with prosecutors last week to learn about the implications of a mistrial.
Prosecutors had said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away on his cattle ranch. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but argued he didn’t shoot directly at anyone.
The trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. During the trial, court officials took jurors to Kelly’s ranch as well as a section of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Earlier, Kelly had rejected an agreement with prosecutors that would have reduced the charge to one count of negligent homicide if he pleaded guilty.
Kelly was also accused of aggravated assault of another person in the group of about eight people.
veryGood! (8754)
Related
- The Fate of Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager's Today Fourth Hour Revealed
- Strong winds, steep terrain hamper crews battling Los Angeles area’s first major fire of the year
- Kansas lawmaker’s law license suspended over conflicts of interest in murder case
- Princess Kate turns heads in Jenny Packham dress amid return for Trooping the Colour event
- Up to 20 human skulls found in man's discarded bags, home in New Mexico
- The Daily Money: A Chick-fil-A child labor camp?!
- Concerns grow as 'gigantic' bird flu outbreak runs rampant in US dairy herds
- Bee stings are extremely common. Here’s how to identify them.
- Suspect arrested after deadly Tuskegee University homecoming shooting
- How Jennifer Lopez Honored Hero Ben Affleck on Father's Day 2024 Amid Breakup Rumors
Ranking
- Britney Spears Reunites With Son Jayden Federline After His Move to Hawaii
- Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky recap: Caitlin Clark wins showdown with Angel Reese
- Juneteenth: What to know about the historical celebration that's now a federal holiday
- 28 rescued after ride malfunctions at century-old amusement park in Oregon
- Duke basketball vs Kentucky live updates: Highlights, scores, updates from Champions Classic
- Diddy's key to New York City rescinded after Cassie Ventura assault video
- Dr. Anthony Fauci on pandemics, partisan critics, and the psyche of the country
- Longtime Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler, who was accused of sexual abuse, dies at 94
Recommendation
-
Lost luggage? This new Apple feature will let you tell the airline exactly where it is.
-
Key moments at the Tonys: Jay-Z and Hillary Clinton in the house, strides for women and a late upset
-
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving hopes for better performance with NBA Finals back in Boston
-
What Euro 2024 games are today? Monday's slate includes France, Belgium, Ukraine
-
Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
-
2 dead, 14 wounded after shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Texas
-
28 rescued after ride malfunctions at century-old amusement park in Oregon
-
Wildfire north of Los Angeles prompts evacuation orders; over 14k acres scorched