By Liesel Nygard
masslive.com
DEDHAM, Mass. — A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial for the case of Emanuel Lopes, who is accused of killing a Weymouth police officer and a 77-year-old woman in July 2018, reports said.
Since June 28, a jury has deliberated while considering “thousands of pieces of evidence,” according to WCVB. One member of the jury was replaced by an alternative last Wednesday.
“On Friday, five days into deliberations, juror discussions appeared to break down, with a juror being brought to tears in the courtroom. Jurors were dismissed for the weekend after a series of sidebars with the lawyers and the judge,” reported WCVB.
Lopes faced two counts of murder, possession of a firearm without a license, destruction of property, and negligent driving of a motor vehicle, according to officials.
The defense did not dispute whether Lopes shot Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna and resident Vera Adams; however, they argued that Lopes was unable to mentally understand his actions. Meanwhile, the prosecution said he knew exactly what he was doing, reports said.
On July 15, 2018, when Chesna and Adams were killed, Lopes stole his then girlfriend’s white BMW before crashing it into another car outside South Shore Hospital, District Attorney Greg Connor described back in June. Lopes took a baseball-sized rock and lifted it over his head before Chesna arrived and asked him to stop before Lopes hurled the rock at Chesna’s head, he said. Lopes took Chesna’s gun and shot him eight times, Connor said.
Nearby, at 143 Torrey St., police found bullet holes in the sliding glass door of a house porch, Connor said. Officers went inside to find Adams unresponsive with bullet wounds to her chest and arm.
Lopes’ lawyer said he was suffering a psychotic episode at the time, adding that Lopes had struggled with his mental health for years, said WCVB.
“Up to that point, everything that Mr. Lopes has done is not logical. It’s not rational because it’s not based in reality,” said defense attorney Larry Tipton, according to WCVB.
On Thursday, a juror raised a question to Judge Beverly Cannone “but the content of the inquiry was not revealed in open court because the judge described it as being of a sensitive nature. In response, the judge repeated instructions to the jury about their duty.”
“Your verdict must be unanimous. It is your duty as jurors to consult with one another and deliberate with the view to reach an agreement,” Cannone said, according to WCVB.
A new trial with a new jury will begin July 21, reports CBS News Boston.
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