ShawneeDispatch.com

It was the second trial for a man accused of murdering his romantic partner in his Shawnee home, but the results were the same.

After beginning deliberations late Tuesday morning in the murder trial of David Stagg, the jury reported late Wednesday morning that it was deadlocked. Stagg is charged with first-degree murder in the 2004 strangulation death of William Jennings, and the first trial, held last year, also resulted in a hung jury.

Prosecuters said Stagg killed Jennings after an argument April 24, 2004, strangling him on the wrought-iron legs of an ornamental birdcage. They said he then created a suicide note on Jennings' laptop before leaving and returning the next day to discover Jennings' body.

Stagg's attorneys said Stagg left the home at Jennings' request between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the night in question, and someone else must have come to Jennings' home later to commit the murder. They pointed to several pieces of unidentified DNA evidence found at the scene and a lack of DNA evidence tying Stagg to the crime.

Before resting his case Monday, defense attorney Tom Bath made a motion to dismiss the trial, and District Court Judge John Anderson III said he would wait to make a ruling on that motion pending the jury's verdict. Brian Burgess, spokesman for the District Attorney's office, said a court date has been set March 29 to rule on that motion.

Although the first jury reported it was evenly split between those who voted guilty and not guilty, Burgess said there was no indication of the split in this jury. He said the D.A.'s office wouldn't know if a third trial would take place or what the next step would be in the case until the judge ruled on the motion to dismiss.