The trial of Edward James Munoz, the man accused of the 2002 murder of Leah Leister, has resulted in a hung jury, according to the case”s prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
Munoz”s date with justice had been elusive after a parade of defense lawyers either resigned or were dismissed by Munoz. Hinchcliff, who has been the prosecutor in the case since charges were first filed against Munoz, said the Munoz trial had encountered a history of delays and up to 12 previous trial dates had been set for Munoz, accused of murdering single mother Leister in her Clearlake apartment on March 10, 2002.
Judge Arthur Mann presided over the 13th start of the trial, which has resulted in an 11-to-1 hung jury.
Contact Cynthia Davis at cdavis@record-bee.com.
