Another hung jury in the 3rd murder trial of the Felix brothers

The sensational murder trial in which Maurice and Emory Felix stood accused, ended in a hung jury on Tuesday night after six hours of deliberations. The case was heard before Justice Troadio Gonzalez in the Corozal Supreme Court, but their two previous trials for the murder were held in the Belize City Supreme Court. The brothers have been remanded since 2006, charged with the murder of Mitchum Heredia in April 2006. Heredia was entering his yard in Belize City when he was shot six times by two gunmen. The jury of twelve could not come to a unanimous decision, which means that the Felix brothers cannot be found guilty of the murder. This is the third time the matter has been heard in Supreme Court. In 2007 the brothers were found guilty, but in 2008 that verdict was overturned because it was ruled that the jury was misdirected. In 2012 they were again before the court, but a mistrial was declared after the jury could not reach a verdict. With a hung jury in the third attempt on Tuesday, there is some confusion as to the fate of the Felix brothers. Today reports indicated that Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal had ordered the release of the brothers. But up to this afternoon, Corozal Police told News five that they had received no such orders. We understand that Maurice and Emory Felix have been taken back to the Belize Central Prison to await a determination of their fates.