Judge Declares Mistrial in Murder Case of Rancher George Kelly Accused of Shooting Illegal Alien

By Sundance

Apparently, the jury was deadlocked with 7 jurors saying not guilty and 1 juror saying guilty.

ARIZONA – […] Jurors in the murder case against a Nogales-area rancher accused of killing an unarmed migrant on his property were unable to reach a unanimous verdict and remained deadlocked on the charges.

After more than 15 hours of deliberation, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink declared a mistrial just after 4:30 p.m. The court scheduled a status meeting for 1:30 p.m. April 29 to allow the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office to decide if it wants to retry the case.

“They won’t wear me down,” rancher George Alan Kelly told reporters after the mistrial was declared. The trial centered on the Jan. 30, 2023, death of Mexican migrant Gabriel Cuen Buitimea, who was found shot after Kelly fired warning shots into the air, his defense attorney said. (read more)