LJWorld.com / After 17 hours, no word from jury in Murray murder trial

Archive for Thursday, March 17, 2005

March 17, 2005

For the past month, the public has been free to discuss developments in the murder trial of Kansas State University professor Thomas E. Murray.

Not the 12 jurors who will decide the case -- they were prohibited from talking about any of the evidence.

From left, April Russell and Samantha Fabbri, sisters of slaying victim Carmin D. Ross, played cards Wednesday in a conference room at the Judicial & Law Enforcement Center while the jury continued deliberating in the murder trial of Thomas E. Murray. Ross' parents, Judi and Danny Ross, also are pictured.

That's one reason attorneys weren't surprised Wednesday that, despite two full days of deliberations, the jury hadn't yet reached a verdict.

"They're doing their job. It's hard work, and there's a lot to do," Assistant Dist. Atty. Amy McGowan said. "They can't talk about anything (during the trial), so this is their first real opportunity to do it."

So far, jurors have spent about 17 hours discussing the case.

They left the Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St., shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday after coming in at 9 a.m. Their schedule was similar Tuesday, and they had deliberated for about an hour Monday afternoon after closing arguments.

Jurors have not asked for any testimony to be read back to them in open court. The only sign of what's happening in the jury room came Tuesday when a TV used to show Murray's more than nine-hour statement to police was removed from the courtroom, apparently to let jurors watch the recording.

6News video: After two days, still no verdict in Murray trial

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Family members of victim Carmin D. Ross, Murray's ex-wife, again spent the day together out of public view in a conference room inside Dist. Atty. Charles Branson's office.