LOS ANGELES : Mistrial in Penalty Phase of Murder Case Declared
A mistrial was declared Friday in the penalty phase for a double murderer after jurors failed to agree on whether he should die in the gas chamber or spend the rest of his life in prison.
After hearing more than five months of evidence to determine what sentence they should recommend for Vincent Bruce, 29, the jurors announced they were deadlocked 11-1 in favor of a life sentence without possibility of parole. The panel deliberated five days. The jury did decide that Bruce’s co-defendants, Catherine Reed, 31, and Shaun Garland, 30, should spend the rest of their lives in prison.
Superior Court Judge John Ouderkirk granted a defense attorney’s request for a mistrial.
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