Jury Deadlocks on Penalty for Killing Prison Counselor

A San Bernardino Superior Court jury deadlocked Thursday on whether a one-time California Youth Authority inmate should be sentenced to death or life in prison for killing a prison counselor four years ago.

Prosecutors said they will press to retry the penalty phase before a new jury in an attempt to have James Ferris, 29, sentenced to death for the murder of Ineasie M. Baker.

Jurors, who on Oct. 3 convicted Ferris of murder, told Judge Ingrid Uhler they were split 8 to 4 in favor of a death verdict. “We think it’s an exercise in futility” to continue deliberating, the jury forewoman told Uhler.

Prosecutors said Ferris forced Baker into a mop closet, stabbing and strangling her before taking her keys in an attempt to escape. The defense argued that the convict happened onto the crime scene only after the fact and was forced to clean up by an unnamed perpetrator.

Baker’s death was a watershed in the half-century history of the youth prison system. It led to a period of more stringent--critics say punitive--control of the 7,500 prisoners in 11 prisons and four camps across the state.

The judge set a hearing for Jan. 16 on how to proceed with the case.