By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEXINGTON - Eight jurors wanted to acquit Adele Craven of complicity to murder in the death of her husband, Delta Air Lines pilot Stephen Craven.

But the three who wanted to send her to death row felt so strongly (one juror was undecided), and the eight who wanted to free her were so entrenched, that any chance of a unanimous verdict collapsed Friday.

Stephanie Morton, the only juror who agreed to speak after a mistrial was declared, was one of two women who loudly answered "no" when Kenton Circuit Judge Patricia Summe asked them if they believed further deliberations would result in a unanimous decision.

Adele Craven bows her head Friday, when a mistrial was declared. (WCPO) | ZOOM |

"I didn't want to be pressured into making a decision I didn't believe in my heart," Ms. Morton said while leaving the Fayette County Courthouse. "I believe she (Ms. Craven) is guilty. I think there are way too many loopholes in her story."

She said the more the jury deliberated, the worse it got for the prosecution. At the beginning, six people wanted to convict Ms. Craven.

"But I was not going to change my mind about her guilt," Ms. Morton said while wiping tears from her eyes. "I figured it was better to cause a mistrial than let her walk."

Prosecutors said they will not give up in their fight to send Ms. Craven to Death Row.

"We look forward to setting a new trial date in the case," Prosecutor Luke Morgan said while leaving the courtroom Friday afternoon. He refused to answer any questions.

The two other jurors who wanted to convict remained in the courtroom for about two hours meeting the Craven family and talking with Mr. Morgan and co-prosecutor Christina Brown.

Co-defense attorneys Deanna Dennison and Linda Smith both said they wished the judge had made the jury deliberate longer, but called the decision a victory for Ms. Craven.

"We see it as a win," said Ms. Dennison. "The commonwealth obviously didn't have the case they thought they had." They sure didn't come close to getting a death penalty, now did they?"

"I don't know what Ms. Craven's thoughts are on this decision," Ms. Dennison said shortly after the decision. "I haven't had the chance to speak with her. She is obviously very emotional right now."

Judge Summe accepted the jurors' statement that they were deadlocked with both sides having "strong thoughts" at 1:45 p.m. on Friday. She will set a new date for trial at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 13 in her Kenton County courtroom.

The group deliberated 15 hours over two days - poring over more than four weeks of testimony in one of the longest criminal trials ever held in Fayette County.

It was moved here because of pretrial publicity in Kenton County.

Ms. Craven, who has been in jail for 2‡ years waiting for her case to come to trial, was led out of the courtroom in tears after the decision. She testified on her own behalf for nearly 14 hours over two days, vehemently denying she had anything to do with her husband's death.

Ms. Craven is accused of plotting with her former lover, Russell "Rusty" McIntire, to hire a hit man to kill her husband. Mr. Craven was found beaten and shot to death in the basement of the couple's Edgewood home July 12, 2000.

Mr. McIntire took the stand in the trial as the prosecution's star witness. He agreed to testify in exchange for a sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

He testified for 2‡ days about how Ms. Craven told him to hire Ronald Scott Pryor to kill her husband so the two could live together on the $500,000 life insurance policy she would collect.

Mr. Pryor has been convicted as the triggerman in the killing. A Kenton County jury has recommended that he receive the death penalty, which Judge Summe could apply at a future sentencing hearing.

Stephen Craven's brother, Bill, said the trial had been an emotional drain on the family but that they appreciated the support they have received. He has been taking care of Adele and Stephen's two young sons since the killing. They are now 8 and 11.

"We are going to stay with this case until there is a just conviction of Adele Vicuna," said Bill Craven, refusing to call the defendant by her married name. "We will be here for the next trial."

E-mail jhannah@enquirer.com