FREDERICK, Md. — A mistrial in the murder trial of Robert Lee Murphy, 23, of Baltimore, was declared Friday in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
Circuit Judge George L. Russell III declared the trial inconclusive about 12:45 p.m., after receiving two notes from jurors, one of which read that they had exhausted discussion of evidence and could not reach a unanimous verdict. Russell received the jurors notes at about 12:15 p.m.
A second note was a request that Juror No. 2 be excused because of a family emergency.
In declaring the mistrial, Russell noted the jury, in reviewing for more than 18 hours, had spent as much time deliberating as it had hearing the case. Testimony from 21 witnesses and 63 pieces of evidence were presented during seven days of trial proceedings.
