In a dramatic turn of events, a mistrial has been declared in the murder trial of former Ohio sheriff's deputy, Jason Meade. The jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case, which involved the December 2020 killing of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. Meade, who is white, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, as Goodson attempted to enter his grandmother's home. The mistrial was initially declared by Judge David Young on Friday morning, but he retracted it minutes later, commending the jurors for their hard work and instructing them to continue deliberating. However, after two more hours of deliberation, the jurors, some of whom were crying, announced that they were deadlocked. This led to the final declaration of mistrial.

The case has been a rollercoaster of emotions for Goodson's family, who have been seeking justice for nearly four years. Sean Walton, an attorney for the Goodson family, acknowledged the mistrial but highlighted that there were jurors who believed Meade was responsible for the unjustifiable killing of Casey Goodson Jr. Walton emphasized the significance of their belief, stating that it should make a statement.

During the trial, Meade testified that Goodson waved a gun at him, prompting him to pursue Goodson out of fear for his life and the lives of others. Meade claimed that he ultimately shot Goodson in the doorway of his grandmother's home because Goodson turned toward him with a gun. However, Goodson's family and prosecutors disputed this account, stating that Goodson was holding a sandwich bag and his keys when he was fatally shot. They acknowledged that Goodson may have been carrying a gun but noted that he had a license to carry a firearm. Furthermore, Goodson's weapon was found on the kitchen floor of his grandmother's house with the safety mechanism engaged.

One significant factor in the trial was the absence of body camera footage. Neither Meade nor any other officer involved in the incident was wearing a body camera, leaving the testimonies as the primary sources of information. Prosecutors repeatedly emphasized that Meade was the only person who claimed Goodson was armed.

Throughout the trial, the jury experienced several disruptions. One juror was dismissed, and an alternate was elevated to the main panel during testimony. Additionally, three other jurors were dismissed and replaced with alternates during deliberations, leading to multiple restarts of the deliberation process. The reasons for the juror dismissals were not disclosed by court officials.

In a new development, another juror has been dismissed, forcing the panel to restart deliberations for the third time in three days. With no alternate jurors available, it remains uncertain how the trial will proceed if another juror is dismissed. The dismissal occurred less than an hour after the jurors had resumed their talks.

During the trial, a witness came forward to testify that he had seen Casey Goodson Jr. shortly before the shooting and did not witness him holding a gun. Christopher Corne, an employee of a heating and cooling company, testified that he saw Goodson in his truck at an intersection on the day of the incident. Corne described Goodson's driving as erratic and observed him singing or dancing to music. However, he stated that he did not see anything in Goodson's hands. This testimony contradicted Meade's claim that Goodson had waved a gun at him.

Corne's testimony was initially a point of contention, leading to a temporary halt in the trial as lawyers debated whether he should be allowed to testify. Judge David Young ultimately permitted Corne to take the stand. The jury was made aware that Corne had been following news coverage of the trial, had posted about it on social media, and had reached out to Goodson's mother, although he did not receive a response. Corne admitted to changing some details of his story but maintained that he came forward because he felt it was the right thing to do.

The mistrial has left the case in a state of uncertainty, and Judge David Young will meet with prosecutors and defense lawyers to determine how to proceed. However, no timeline has been provided for this meeting. The Goodson family and their supporters continue to seek justice for Casey Goodson Jr., hoping for a resolution that holds Meade accountable for his actions.