Prosecutors To Not Retry Arizona Rancher Accused Of Murdering Mexican Man

PHOENIX (AP) Prosecutors said Monday they will not retry an Arizona rancher whose trial in the fatal shooting of a Mexican man on his property ended last week with a deadlocked jury.

The jurors in the trial of George Alan Kelly were unable to reach a unanimous decision on a verdict after more than two days of deliberation. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink declared a mistrial  on April 22.

After the mistrial, the Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office had the option to retry Kelly or to drop the case.

Because of the unique circumstances and challenges surrounding this case, the Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office has decided not to seek a retrial, Deputy County Attorney Kimberly Hunley told Fink Monday.

Fink agreed to dismiss the case. He said a hearing would be scheduled later to determine if it would be dismissed with prejudice, which would mean it couldnt be brought back to court.

Kellys defense attorney Brenna Larkin told the judge that she would file a request for the case to be dismissed with prejudice.

Larkin did not immediately return a request for comment sent by email after the ruling.

When a reporter from the Tucson TV station KGUN  asked for Kellys reaction outside the courthouse, he said he felt relief.

The nightmares over, Kelly added, saying that the victims family has my sincere sympathy.

Kelly was trailed by protesters demonstrating on behalf of 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, who was fatally shot on Jan. 30, 2023.

Gabriel was a human being, said one sign carried by protesters.

Someone walking 100 yards (91.44 meters) away is not a threat, read another, which called for a retrial.

The 75-year-old Kelly had been on trial for nearly a month in Nogales, a city on the border with Mexico. The rancher had been charged with second-degree murder in the killing outside Nogales, Arizona.

Cuen-Buitimea had lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He was in a group of men that Kelly encountered that day on his cattle ranch. His two adult daughters, along with Mexican consular officials, met with prosecutors last week to learn about the implications of a mistrial.

The Mexican Consulate in Nogales, Arizona, said it would release a statement later.

Prosecutors had said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle  toward a group of men on his cattle ranch, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but argued he didnt shoot directly at anyone.

The trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. During it, court officials took jurors to Kellys ranch  as well as a section of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Earlier, Kelly had rejected an agreement with prosecutors  that would have reduced the charge to one count of negligent homicide if he pleaded guilty.

Kelly was also accused of aggravated assault of another person in the group of about eight people.