Jury Hangs in OC Murder for Hire Case
A Santa Ana jury hung yesterday in the murder trial of Sandra Jessee, accused of hiring someone to stab her husband who was ill with colon cancer. The prosecution argued that Jessee was frustrated with the victim's mounting medical bills, and that she gained by inheriting his 401k and life insurance payout.
The jury hung 11-to-1 in favor of the prosecution. Some of the majority jurors accused the dissenting juror of failing to deliberate and analyze the case properly. The dissenter apparently had trouble believing a key prosecution witness, a co-conspirator who had been offered a deal in exchange for his testimony.
Orange County criminal attorney John Murray believes conviction is likely in the retrial. "If they got 11 jurors this time, odds are they'll get 12 next time. But it goes to show that anything's possible in a jury trial, especially when the prosecution has to turn a witness to make its case." Deputy OC District Attorney Mike Murray says he plans to re-file murder charges and retry the case.
