HUNG JURY

Judge Declares Mistrial in Case of Murdered NYC Jogger Karina Vetrano

Prosecutors say they will move to retry Chanel Lewis, and he will remain in custody for the time being.

A judge declared a mistrial late Tuesday in the trial of a Brooklyn man accused of killing and sexually assaulting Queens jogger Karina Vetrano in 2016. Judge Michael Aloise declared the mistrial in Queens Supreme Court at the defense team’s request after the jury informed him it was unable to come to a consensus on whether the accused, Chanel Lewis, was guilty or not guilty. Lewis, 22, had pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and sexual abuse despite a taped confession and DNA evidence. His lawyers have argued that the confession was coerced, and they also called into question the DNA evidence. “After deliberating for the entire day we are split. It doesn’t seem like we can make progress. We feel that we have exhausted all of our options,” the jury wrote in a note to the judge, the New York Post reports. Prosecutors say they will move to retry Lewis, who will remain in custody. He is due back in court on Jan. 22. Vetrano was killed in August 2016 after going out for a jog in Howard Beach. Investigators said she appeared to have been struck over the head with a rock before being raped and strangled.

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