Kyle Jury Fails to Agree; Judge Orders Mistrial

A mistrial was declared in the murder trial of Ricky Kyle today after jurors told a judge they were deadlocked 10-2 in favor of convicting the 22-year-old defendant.

After 20 days of deliberation, jury foreman Marshall Lai told Superior Court Judge Robert R. Devich that the jury felt further discussions would be useless.

Kyle was accused of the July 22, 1983, murder of his millionaire father, Henry Harrison Kyle, 60, who was shot to death in the dining room of his Bel-Air mansion.

Prosecutors argued during the six-month trial that Ricky Kyle shot his father to gain his part of Henry Kyle’s vast estate, which included businesses and real estate across the Southwest United States. Defense attorneys, however, argued that he shot his father in self-defense after the older man fired in his direction as the two searched for intruders in the family mansion.

Defense attorneys called the mistrial a “victory.”

“We are elated that the state failed to convince these fine jurors (that Ricky Kyle murderered his father),” defense attorney Jack C. Pate said.

After the mistrial was declared, Ricky Kyle embraced his wife, Kelly, and their 8-month-old son.