The jury is still out in the Michelle Michael case

The jurors in the Michelle Michael case are still deliberating. The attorney gave their closing arguments yesterday. The jury began their deliberations yesterday afternoon. Please keep the Michael family in your prayers as well as Shelly (Michelle) and her family. And, thanks to my friend who is up there (in West Virginia) in the thick of things for keeping me updated. Stay tuned.........

It's only been a couple hours since I typed the above. Now the jury has stopped deliberations for the day. They will resume on Friday. Below is an excerpt from WV Metro News website. If you visit the link, it may no longer show this exact article. They update frequently.

The jury will return to deliberations Friday and try to reach a decision about the fate of Michelle Michael. Earlier in the day, a note was sent to Monongalia County Magistrate Judge Robert Stone informing him the jury was having trouble reaching a unanimous decision.Michael is accused of killing her husband, Jimmy, and then setting the couple's Morgantown home on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime.

The foreman told Judge Stone that the jury considered staying the night to try and reach a decision, but decided it would be better to separate from each other and think about the decision that needs to be made. After receiving the note from the jury Thursday afternoon, Judge Stone asked the attorneys on both sides what suggestions they had for the jury. Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown requested they be directed to go back in for further deliberation. Stone did just that and asked the jury to be open-minded and consider the opinion of other jurors.

The jury needs to decide if Michael is not guilty, guilty of first-degree murder, or guilty of first-degree murder with mercy. If found guilty of first-degree murder, she will spend the rest of her life in prison. If found guilty with mercy, Michael will be up for parole in 15 years.If the jury can not reach a decision, Michael will return to prison and await a retrial.