WEYMOUTH, Mass. – A judge on Monday declared a mistrial in the case of a man accused of murdering Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna and innocent bystander Vera Adams in July 2019.
BREAKING: The judge has just declared the trial null and void in the Emanuel Lopes case.
— Robert Goulston (@rgoulston) July 10, 2023
Testimony in that case ended in late June and then went to the jury last week, but there was no verdict before the July 4 holiday weekend.
One of the jurors had a personal commitment, so they were excused and an alternate was chosen last week.
“When that happens, you have to start your deliberations,” the judge told the jury in court.
Deliberations lasted five days, but since the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, a judge ruled that there should be a new trial with a new jury.
Lopes is accused of using a rock to disarm Chesna and then killing the officer with his own weapon. Adams was also shot and killed while sitting nearby on his front porch.
During the trial, Lopes’ attorneys do not dispute that their client fatally shot Chesna and Adams, but say he has a long history of mental illness, including auditory hallucinations and incidents of self-harm.
He questioned whether Lopes should be held criminally responsible for mental health issues.
A new trial date has been set for July 21.
Family of @WeymouthPD Sergeant Michael Chesna could be heard in court reacting as the judge announced the verdict. It looks like the prosecutor will retry the case. A new start date has been set for 7/21.
— Robert Goulston (@rgoulston) July 10, 2023
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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