Jury Deadlocks Over Florida Tourist Slaying
A judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the trial of a teen-ager accused of killing English tourist Gary Colley and wounding his girlfriend in a botched robbery at a highway rest stop in September, 1993.
The jury deadlocked after deliberating the fate of John (Billy Joe) Crumitie, 17, for about six hours. A retrial was expected.
Colley’s girlfriend, Margaret Jagger, 36, began crying after the announcement and declined to comment. Crumitie’s mother, Susie Mae Johnson, joined about 20 relatives and friends in the courtroom. She also would not comment.
Colley was the ninth tourist killed in Florida in a 13-month period. Jagger was wounded in the attack, which attracted international headlines, damaged Florida’s $31-billion tourism industry and spurred state lawmakers to approve major reforms in Florida’s juvenile-justice system.
The 12-member jury included a former classmate and former teacher of Crumitie. If he had been convicted of murder, Crumitie faced life in prison.
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