Jury still out in Ellington re-trial

A Kootenai County jury failed to reach a verdict today in the case of Jonathan W. Ellington.

Deliberations began Friday afternoon, and continued today for six hours.

Ellington is charged with second-degree murder in the 2006 death of Vonette Larsen.

Short of second-degree murder, the jury also could find Ellington guilty of voluntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, or vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.

Ellington was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery following a jury trial in 2006, and he spent six years behind bars. The Idaho Supreme Court overturned that decision last year and allowed a new trial after determining that a prosecution witness lied on the witness stand.

Deliberations in the re-trial will resume tomorrow morning.