The Orange County Register reports that a mistrial was declared in the trial of a wife accused of killing her sick husband in a murder-for-hire plot in which the wife’s son was also accused. The judge had no choice but to declare a mistrial in the case after jurors told the judge they were hopelessly deadlocked and would not be able to reach a verdict.

Yesterday afternoon, Orange County Superior Court Judge Glenda Sanders declared a mistrial in the murder case against 58-year-old Sandra Jessee, the wife, and her son, Thomas Dayton Aehlert, 39, of Gold Canyon, Ariz., who were on trial for the August 13, 1998 murder of Jack Jessee who was suffering from colon cancer at the time of his murder. Jurors reported to Judge Sanders that they were deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of guilt and that further deliberation would not be useful in reaching a verdict.

Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray argued that Jack Jesse’s wife wanted him dead as she was stuggling with paying his medical bills from her husband’s surgeries. As a result of her husband’s death, Sandra Jessee profited about $650,000 from her husband’s murder after selling their house and obtaining his 401(k) benefits and insurance, according to Murray.

Murray further alleged tht Jessee and Aehlert paid Schrauben $50,000 to kill Jack Jessee who, along with a friend, Thomas Garrick, committed the murder. Schrauben plead guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for this role in the murder of Jack Jessee.

Jurors expressed frustration with the one holdout juror who doubted the testimony of key prosecution witness Brett Schrauben who testified that he was solicited, hired and paid by Sandra Jessee and her son to kill Jack Jessee. Schrauben also testified about details of the killing in the murder=for-hire plot.

The jury spent two and a half days deliberating with a good portion of it going over the evidence with the holdout juror in an effort to convince her to change her vote. According to other jurors, deliberations got intense and jurors began to yel as they became frustrated with the holdout juror who left the courthouse without speaking with reporters

After the mistrial was declared in this murder-for-hire case, Deputy District Attorney declared that he would “absolutely” re-file the murder charges against the wife, Sandra Jesse and her son Aehlert and a new hearing has been scheduled for September 4.

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Related posts:

1. Santa Ana Dad Sentenced to 3-Years In Murder-For-Hire Plot!

Tags: Jack Jessee, mistrial, murder-for-hire plot, Sandra Jessee, wife kills sick husband

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