Jury Deadlocks in Case Against Girl’s Parents

Jurors on Thursday told a judge they were hopelessly deadlocked on whether a severely disabled 15-year-old girl died of natural causes or was starved to death by her parents, setting the stage for a retrial.

Jurors, by a 10-2 margin, favored acquitting the parents on murder charges, but seven jurors voted for conviction on child-abuse charges.

The trial and heated jury deliberations focused on the opinions of opposing medical experts and treating physicians.

Defense attorneys said Michael and Kathleen “Katrina” Gentry simply wanted the best for their daughter, who was born with the extremely rare disease myotonic dystrophy, which, like muscular dystrophy, causes a wasting away of the muscles. The illness stunted her growth, twisted her spine and caused severe cataracts in her eyes.

At trial, friends and relatives testified that the girl was treated well and encouraged to eat. Medical experts, including the pathologist who examined her after death, testified that Lindsay Gentry died of her disease, although he also listed malnutrition due to severe starvation as a contributing factor.

Testifying for the prosecution were teachers who reported signs of physical abuse and undernourishment. The girl was so hungry, one school official testified, that she stole food from other children.

The coroner of San Bernardino County, where the girl died, said Lindsay starved to death. When she died in 1996, she was 4 feet, 10 inches and weighed 44 pounds.

“I intend to retry them,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Kathleen Cady said outside the courtroom Thursday. “We still believe that they committed all the crimes with which they were charged.”

Defense lawyers said they hoped the mistrial would persuade the judge to lower the Gentrys’ bail. Both have been unable to make bail and remain in custody.

“You’ve got to be encouraged when you walk into the valley of darkness and you come out,” said Michael Gentry’s lawyer, Patrick Thomasson. While he said he wishes the case could “go away,” he realizes it is far from over.

Lyle Middleton, one of two lawyers defending Kathleen Gentry, said the mistrial was in some ways a disappointment because his client “was looking forward to going home today.”

Michael Gentry, an electronics communications technician at Fox Airport in Lancaster, has called the charges a vendetta by school officials who were upset because he and his wife pulled the girl out of school in favor of home tutoring.

Jurors said proving murder was difficult.

“It’s difficult to prove one way or the other whether it was the disease or the malnutrition,” said juror George Moreno, a 52-year-old food equipment technician from Encino who voted for acquittal.

“I don’t think there was enough evidence,” agreed juror Leissa Kalas, 36, of Santa Clarita, who said she made a list of 51 questions the prosecution didn’t answer. She also voted for acquittal.

“I think they loved the kid. I would say if there’s not enough evidence, send [the Gentrys] home. They’ve been through enough.”

But juror Denise Kirsch said she thinks it’s clear that the defendants caused their daughter’s death.

“They weren’t trying. I don’t feel they tried and that’s why the poor thing died, and that’s terrible,” said Kirsch, 31, of Newhall. “I personally thought they were guilty on all counts, without a doubt.”