WASHINGTON 鈥� After three days of deliberation, a Montgomery County jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of Rico LeBlond, who was charged with the October 2015 shooting of a longtime friend.
Prosecutors had told jurors that LeBlond,听20, .
LeBlond was charged with first-degree murder, which carries a statutory maximum of life in prison in Maryland.
Ziona and LeBlond had known each other since middle school.
According to prosecutors, LeBlond was embarrassed when Ziona, a transgender woman, flirted with him in front of his male friends.
Prosecutors Patrick Mays and Tim Hagan said LeBlond shot Ziona, who was born DeAndre Smith.
But according to defense attorney David Felsen, police gave 鈥渟ubstantially different descriptions of the person or people with guns, who were fleeing the scene.鈥�
鈥淭here was substantial evidence on both sides, pointing in other directions other than that of Mr. LeBlond,鈥� he said.
Jurors were deadlocked at 10鈥�2, in favor of conviction, according to sources, when听Circuit Judge Anne Albright declared a mistrial.
鈥淲e鈥檙e disappointed the jury wasn鈥檛 able to come to a unanimous decision for acquittal,鈥� said Felsen, but he and his client 鈥渁ppreciate the jury鈥檚 service.鈥�
The state鈥檚 attorney鈥檚 office plans to try the case again.
鈥淲e believe that we will obtain a guilty verdict in the next trial,鈥� said Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Sate鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 Office.
