Lowell, MA — A Massachusetts jury grappled with their decision in the murder trial of three brothers accused of a fatal shooting, sending a note to the judge indicating a deadlock after more than 10 hours of intense deliberations spread over three days. The case, held at Middlesex Superior Court, involves Billy, 33, Billoeum, 32, and Channa Phan, 31, all charged with the murder of 22-year-old Tyrone Phet in Lowell more than four years ago.
Judge Kenneth Salinger, presiding over the trial, responded to the jury’s plea for guidance by urging continued deliberation. He noted that the jurors had dedicated significant time to considering a substantial body of evidence, including testimony from 41 witnesses and the review of 121 exhibits throughout the nearly 34 hours of trial proceedings.
As the jurors strive for a verdict, they reconvened at 9 a.m. Monday, with the judge reminding them of the thoroughness required in their deliberations. The possibility of a mistrial looms should the jurors remain split, which could necessitate retrial.
Deliberations followed closing arguments by Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Daniel Harren, who forcefully recounted the events leading to Phet’s death, emphasizing the 21 shots fired, eight of which fatally wounded Phet outside his home on Spring Avenue in the early hours of Sept. 14, 2020.
Harren suggested that one of the Phan brothers drove the others to a location near Phet’s residence, where two lay in ambush before the assassination of Phet, a former high school football star and father of two. Phet was found by police in his car, his body bearing the severe effects of the gunfire.
Adding complexity to the case, the defense highlighted the questionable credibility of key prosecution witness Abdulai Maranda, who testified under immunity about his association with the Phan’s supposed gang activities. Defense attorneys pointed to inconsistencies in Maranda’s testimony and lack of physical evidence linking the defendants to the crime scene.
During their closing statements, defense counsels argued the prosecution’s evidence was circumstantial at best, criticizing the investigation’s shortcomings including the failure to gather fingerprint and DNA evidence from the crime scene which could definitively tie the defendants to the murder.
The defense also painted Phet as a troubled individual involved in drug dealings and illegal gambling, suggesting alternative motives and perpetrators for his murder, thereby casting doubt on the Phan brothers’ involvement.
As the trial progresses, the jury faces the task of navigating through conflicting narratives, where the decision rests between convicting the brothers of first-degree murder, carrying a life sentence without parole, or opting for a lesser charge of second-degree murder, which includes life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.
The Phan brothers also face charges related to illegal firearm possession, adding to the trial’s stakes. In a significant twist, Billy Phan is also accused of witness intimidation, allegedly offering a substantial bribe for favorable testimony, which could further complicate the jury’s deliberations.
As the community watches closely, the outcome of this trial could send reverberations beyond the courtroom, touching on issues of gang violence, police investigation practices, and the pursuit of justice in complex murder cases.
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