ALT’S REALITY
Extra juror: Prosecutors failed, and I’d have voted to acquit, too
An alternate juror in the Howard Beach jogger murder trial says prosecutors failed to prove their case despite a defendant implicated by his own words and DNA.
The juror — who did not join the deliberations that ended Tuesday night with a hung jury — told the Daily News that she remained unconvinced of suspect Chanel Lewis’ guilt in the brutal Aug. 2, 2016, sexual assault and murder of Karina Vetrano.
The juror added that she would have voted to acquit Lewis. It remained unclear how divided the Queens panel was when the mistrial was declared after just two days of deliberations.
“I don’t want to say it’s just on the prosecution,” the juror said Wednesday of her take on the case. “Also, the defense had some reasons why as well (to vote for acquittal). Yes, I thought there was reasonable doubt.”
The parents of the 30-yearold victim left the Queens courtroom in tears Tuesday night when the jurors announced they couldn’t reach a verdict in what had appeared a slam dunk for prosecutors.
“Oh my God!” screamed one relative when the mistrial was declared. Prosecutors quickly announced plans to retry the defendant, who remained in custody pending a Jan. 22 court date.
The victim’s family remained mute on the unexpected outcome of the trial, although dad Philip Vetrano went for a jog Wednesday in the same park where he discovered his missing daughter’s body.
The jury deliberated briefly on Monday, followed by a lengthy day of debate that ended at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday with their note to Judge Michael Aloise. “We are split,” the jurors wrote. “It doesn’t seem we are able to make progress one way or the other.”
The defense called just a single witness and opted to keep Lewis off the stand.
The jury heard testimony that the DNA of Lewis, 22, matched up with genetic evidence taken from Vetrano’s neck and cell phone after the murder. And prosecutors played Lewis’ February 2017 confession to the killing for the jury.
“I got angry,” the defendant admitted. “I saw red. I never meant to do anything. Yeah, I just lost it.” Lewis acknowledged hitting Vetrano “five or so” times, breaking her teeth before dragging her into the tall grass of Spring Creek Park where “I finished her off.”
The jury asked Tuesday afternoon to take another look at the videotape, asking specifically to hear a section where the defendant reportedly declared “Damn, in 15 minutes it’s all going to come out” while in custody at the 107th Precinct in Queens.
Defense attorneys Jenny Cheung and Robert Moeller contended Lewis was misquoted, and was instead referring to a promised phone call with family members set to take place in 15 minutes.
The Legal Aid Society, which offered legal assistance to Lewis, issued a statement suggesting authorities were in a hurry to lock someone up for the heinous, high-profile killing.
“This case is far from conclusive, and the jury’s deadlock proves this,” the statement read. “The death of Karina Vetrano is tragic and our hearts go out to her family, but the rush to criminalize our client is not the answer, nor is it justice.”