SAN FERNANDO : Mistrial Declared in Murder Case
A mistrial was declared Friday in the trial of an Antelope Valley man accused of killing the owner and an employee of a Lancaster car rental agency in 1991.
San Fernando Superior Court Judge Charles Peven declared the mistrial after the jury announced it was hopelessly deadlocked 8 to 4 in favor of a not guilty decision after nearly a week of deliberating.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Chesley McKay said he plans to refile charges against Michael Joseph Williams, 22, at a hearing May 7.
Mohammad Dahan, 36, of Quartz Hill, the owner of the Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car agency, and employee Ibrahim Alsehrewerdi, 36, of Lancaster, were found shot to death in the company’s office Aug. 22, 1991.
Police believe that the motive for the killing was robbery. About $1,000 was taken from the office at the time of the murder. A black 1984 Chrysler LeBaron that had been stolen from the agency three months earlier was used in the incident, according to police.
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