A jury in Honolulu federal court Tuesday afternoon found two men accused of murdering U.S. Army soldier John Latchum guilty.
Bryson Jose, 19, and Roberto Miguel, 22, face life in prison without parole.
A mistrial was declared for a third suspect, Keala Leong, despite the jury initially saying that it convicted him along with Jose and Miguel.
KITV4 News reporter Daryl Huff said that after the judge polled each of the jurors, one of them stated she didn't believe that Leong was guilty.
"I've never seen such a dramatic moment before," Leong's attorney Rustam Barbee said. "(Leong) feels very strongly that the juror made the right choice."
Latchum, a father of two, was shot to death in June 1998 at the Waianae Army Recreation Center during what prosecutors said was a burglary attempt. Prosecutors argued that Miguel pulled the trigger.
Jose was convicted under a federal statute that allows a defendant to be found guilty of murder even if he is not the triggerman.
U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said he will decide in the next several weeks whether to retry Leong.
Previous Stories:
Copyright 2002 by
TheHawaiiChannel.com
All rights reserved.
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
