Ohio Judge Announces Violation of Case in Former Cop Accused of Murder of Woman in Sting with Undercover Prostitution

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A Ohio court jury has been unable to determine the guilt or innocence of a former Columbus deputy police officer accused of killing a woman while working undercover, prompting a judge to declare misconduct on Friday.

The decision came after jurors failed to reach a consensus after 10 hours of deliberation over three days in the Andrew Mitchell case. He is accused of murder and manslaughter in the death of 23-year-old Donna Castlebury during a prostitution arrest, WTTE-TV, a subsidiary of Fox, reported.

Ten witnesses, including Mitchell, testified during the trial.

The jury began the debate on Wednesday and informed Franklin District Court Judge David Young that the panel was at a dead end. Seven jurors found Mitchell’s use of force reasonable, while two found it unreasonable and three remained unresolved, NBC4 reported.

It was unclear whether prosecutors would try Mitchell again. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

“Ohio will carefully review all available options to finalize this issue and will make a public statement in seven days,” said Gary Tayak, Franklin County Attorney.

The former officer remains in federal custody in a separate case in which he allegedly forced women to have sex with him in exchange for avoiding arrest. This case was not shared with the jury.

Columbus Division police cruiser. A jury has failed to rule on a lawsuit against a former Columbus, Ohio police officer accused of killing a woman during a prostitution bust, prompting the jury to declare misconduct. (Columbus Police Department)

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In response to the assassination, Columbus Police Department removed the deputy unit.

Following the announcement of the misconduct, the department issued a statement saying several changes had been implemented, including a mandate that officers never work alone, that arrests on request were always made by a uniformed officer in a marked police cruiser, and emphasized more attention to the buyer of sexual trafficking.