George Alan Kelly, the 75-year-old Arizona rancher accused of shooting dead an unarmed Mexican national on his land, had his trial end in a mistrial. This outcome stemmed from only one of the jurors believing he was guilty.
BREAKING: Judge in the Arizona rancher case where 75-year-old George Alan Kelly was accused of shooting an illegal on his property, has declared a mistrial.
Kelly was initially charged with second-degree murder.
The announcement from the judge came after the jury was unable… pic.twitter.com/lfnmhtveIs
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 23, 2024
JUST IN: A Judge has ruled a mistrial in the case of George Alan Kelly. Kelly was accused of taking the life of an illegal immigrant on his property.
Kelly claimed he fired warning shots earlier in the day after seeing armed men on his property. His wife called border… pic.twitter.com/7KJ9kc3zOW
— Travis Media Group (@TMGPolitics) April 23, 2024
Many have advocated on social media for Kelly’s freedom and urged the county not to retry him.
Fox News reports deliberations began on April 18th, and after more than two full days of deliberation and unsuccessful attempts to reach a verdict, the presiding judge declared a mistrial on Monday.
The case revolved around the death of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, who was discovered shot to death on Kelly’s 170-acre cattle ranch near Keno Springs, just outside Nogales, Arizona, on January 30, 2023.
Kelly’s defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp had challenged the prosecution’s assertion that Cuen-Buitimea was an unarmed migrant and instead proposed that cartel influence complicated the investigation into his death.
Lowthorp said that only one juror was in favor of conviction, while seven jurors leaned towards acquittal. Despite the defense’s request for the jury to continue deliberations, the judge opted to conclude the case.
“We firmly believe that the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt,” Lowthorp stated to reporters outside the courthouse, according to The Daily Mail.
“They won’t break my resolve,” Kelly asserted following the ruling, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
George Alan Kelly’s defense attorney Kathy Lowthorp says the mistrial was caused by one holdout juror who believed Kelly to be guilty. She says the other 7 wanted to vote for acquittal. pic.twitter.com/BvS88AupcX
— Adam Klepp (@AdamKleppAZ) April 23, 2024
Lowthorp’s view on the mistrial is clear: “Try it again, and maybe this time we’ll have all fair jurors who follow the law.”
She assures Kelly that she will continue to represent him if there’s another trial.
Kelly remains confident in his eventual acquittal, stating, “They want ice water in you-know-where. And they ain’t got it. So, it is what it is.”
Kelly emphasized the necessity of persisting to the Arizona Daily Star, saying, “If you’re in a sand trap, you gotta keep hacking until you get out.”
The Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office retains the option to retry Kelly or drop the case altogether. A status hearing is set for the following Monday afternoon, during which prosecutors may indicate whether they intend to pursue the case again.
X users flocked to the platform to voice their praise over the declared mistrial, urging the county to drop the case ultimately.
FREE GEORGE ALAN KELLY
— Patriot dude (@PatriotsChasers) April 23, 2024
“This was a waste of tax payer’s money,” wrote one user on X. “Kelly was innocent—the government was guilty.”
George Alan Kelly’s second-degree murder trial ends in a mistrial!!
This was a waste of tax payer’s money.
Kelly was innocent—the government was guilty. pic.twitter.com/zc3vzvr816
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 23, 2024
Americans for Prosperity ambassador Robby Starbuck said, “A group of illegal immigrants invaded the property of George Alan Kelly. After he saw guns, George defended his wife and home by firing warning shots in the air.”
“One illegal died and a woke DA tried to charge George with murder. A Jury voted 7 to 1 today that he’s NOT GUILTY. The judge declared a mistrial,” Starbuck added.
“George did nothing wrong. At least for now, a great injustice has been avoided,” he continued. “Prosecutors now have to decide if they’ll try to bring the case a second time which would be crazy given that he was only one juror away from a not guilty verdict.”
Another user chimed in on Starbuck’s to post to say, “Thank goodness that they did the right thing. He has the right to protect his property and his family.”
Thank goodness that they did the right thing. He has the right to protect his property and his family.
— Live (@22liv22) April 23, 2024
The post Mistrial Declared In Case Of 75-Year-Old Arizona Border Rancher Accused Of Murdering Mexican Migrant On His Land appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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