DEDHAM, Mass — After five days of deliberations, a deadlocked jury still could not reach a verdict in the trial of the man accused of murdering a Weymouth police sergeant and a 77-year-old widow.
Emmanuel Lopes is accused of shooting and killing Sergeant Michael Chesna and 77-year-old Vera Adams in 2018.
The 26-year-old’s first trial ended in a mistrial last summer and this time, the jury is at odds over questions about Lopes’ mental health.
Prosecutors allege this was a cold-blooded murder, that Lopes incapacitated Sgt. Chesna with a rock and then shot and killed the police officer with his own weapon at point-blank range.
The Judge advised jurors Wednesday they do not have to agree on Lopes’ exact prognosis to reach a verdict.
The judge told deadlocked jurors to go home from Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham yesterday afternoon and to plan on coming back to try to reach a unanimous verdict.
Legal expert Peter Elikann says there’s no telling how much longer this could drag on for.
“A judge will push the jury as much as it possibly can because it’s such an effort and expense putting the family through it. If there’s any iota of a chance that the jury could reach a verdict you really want to leave no stone unturned and really try to get that,” said Elikann.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Lopes faces a sentence of life in prison without parole.
Day six of jury deliberations will resume first thing tomorrow morning with the possibility of a mistrial on the horizon for families that have been through this ordeal once before.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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