El Cajon

A jury acquitted an El Cajon man late Friday of murdering his girlfriend but deadlocked, 11 to 1, for conviction on a manslaughter charge.

After 4 1/2 days of deliberations, the San Diego Superior Court jury found Donald Robert Linstroth, 34, not guilty of first- and second-degree murder.

Jurors later told Judge Frederic A. Link that they were “hopelessly deadlocked” on manslaughter charges, and he declared a mistrial.

Linstroth was on trial in the Aug. 12 fatal shooting of Vera Gullick, 35, who lived with him on Rios Canyon Road in rural El Cajon. She had been shot in the chest with a shotgun.

Link ordered Linstroth to next appear in court on Wednesday, for setting of a re-trial date.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert Sickels said his office will probably retry Linstroth because of the jury’s voluntary manslaughter vote. In a new trial, however, Linstroth would not face murder charges.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, jurors told Link that they wished to deliberate longer on the manslaughter charge in hopes they could reach a verdict that night. About 6 p.m., the jurors returned, telling Link they could not reach a verdict.

Linstroth remains in County Jail.