Trial in Slayings of Disabled Clerk and Roommate Ends in Hung Jury

The trial of a San Clemente man accused of murdering a disabled newspaper classifieds clerk and her roommate ended in a mistrial Wednesday when the jury deadlocked after one day of deliberation.

The jury split 8 to 4 in favor of a guilty verdict in the case of Jamie Christian Creech, 27, accused of shooting Stephanie Larkin, 30, and Derek Lee Mattingly, 28, in their apartment in Santa Ana in March 1998. If found guilty of the special allegation of multiple murder, Creech faces life in prison without possibility of parole.

Police say Creech fled to Arizona after committing the crime and was extradited in December 1998. He has been held without bail since.

Creech testified that he used methamphetamines purchased from Mattingly but said he had no reason to kill the pair. He also denied fleeing the state.

Police claim that he murdered Mattingly in a drug dispute and that Larkin, who they do not believe used drugs, was killed to eliminate witnesses. Larkin had muscular dystrophy and used a wheelchair.

Ronald Klar, Creech’s attorney, was not discouraged with the outcome.

“I’m happy that the jury worked as hard as they did,” Klar said. “It’s a . . . difficult case because of the circumstances. We’ll have to do this again, and that’s fine.”