Jury reaches verdict on 1 count in Catholic U killing, deadlocked on 4 others

After seven days of deliberations and 19 jury notes, jurors made limited progress Monday in the murder trial of a man accused of killing a Kentucky teacher on the Catholic University campus in Northeast Washington, D.C.

The jury reached a verdict on one of five charges but remains deadlocked on the other four, including the murder count.

Jaime Macedo is accused of killing 25-year-old Maxwell Emerson in 2023. Jurors are weighing whether Macedo held Emerson at gunpoint for more than 30 minutes on July 5, 2023, took $300 from him, and then shot him in the abdomen during a struggle after Emerson attempted to intervene.

Jurors have repeatedly told the judge they are unable to reach a consensus on several charges and have asked for guidance multiple times. However, they have not declared themselves hopelessly deadlocked. The judge has instructed them to continue deliberating.

On Monday, jurors said they reached a verdict on Count 5, which involves unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior conviction. The outcome of that count has not been disclosed.

Instead of accepting a partial verdict, the judge issued additional instructions and directed jurors to keep working through the remaining charges.

Prosecutors emphasized during the trial that Emerson was supposed to attend a conference at the Library of Congress that morning and argued he knew Macedo was armed from their initial encounter at the Brookland Metro station.

Macedo, who testified in his own defense, claimed the incident was a misunderstanding. He said Emerson tried to help him and sent $300 through a payment app after hearing his situation. According to Macedo, the confrontation turned violent when Emerson misinterpreted events and tackled him, causing the hidden gun in his pants to discharge accidentally.

In a note last week, jurors asked to see another demonstration of how Macedo had the gun positioned, but the judge denied the request, telling them to rely on their memory.

It is unusual for a jury in this courthouse to deliberate for this long.

Jurors continue to struggle with charges including attempted armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and first-degree murder.

Deliberations are set to resume Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

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