THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210654
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ANGELITA PLEMMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
The three-day trial of a Portsmouth contractor charged with beating and strangling his childhood friend ended in a mistrial Thursday night after the 12 jurors said they could not reach a unanimous decision.
Circuit Judge L. Cleaves Manning declared the proceedings a mistrial after the six men and six women had deliberated for nearly three hours over the charges against Harry S. ``Steve'' Caprio, 39, of the 600 block of Whitestone Ave.
Caprio was charged with killing 40-year-old Elizabeth ``Marie'' Bickley, on Aug. 5, 1991, after the two left to buy beer at a nearby store.
Bickley's body was found by a passing motorist at the intersection of Race Street and Powhatan Avenue. Her face had been beaten, and a 21-inch-long white plastic cord was fastened around her neck.
``Your sole interest is to ascertain the truth from the evidence in the case,'' Manning told the jurors after they announced their initial deadlock. After an additional 30 minutes, the jurors, looking hot and tired, said they still could not reach a verdict.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys paraded a slew of technical experts and witnesses throughout the trial, which attorneys agreed was based on circumstantial evidence because there were no witnesses to the slaying.
``We know we've done everything we could to analyze this evidence and present this case,'' Commonwealth's Attorney Martin Bullock said during his closing arguments.
KEYWORDS: MURDER STRANGULATION TRIAL VERDICT by CNB