Jurors were unable to reach a verdict after a week of deliberations, returning to the courtroom around noon and voting 11-1 in favor of Wilson's innocence.
Defense attorney Jerome Bradford said he was disappointed with the outcome, despite the jury's “overwhelming support of Mr. Wilson.”
Wilson, 22, is accused of shooting and killing 29-year-old Kevin Smoot of Lancaster, Calif. The shooting death occurred during a June 2, 2007, confrontation at the home of Wilson's aunt, according to records.
The former University of Montana athlete allegedly fled the scene and returned to Missoula for summer football conditioning. He turned himself in to authorities and was suspended indefinitely from the Grizzly football team a few days later.
Assistant Los Angeles District Attorney Kelly Cromer said two jurors were dismissed mid-deliberation and replaced with alternates. The newly formed jury then resumed deliberations from the beginning, she said.
One juror was dismissed for medical reasons and another for “misconduct,” Cromer said. She would not elaborate on the circumstances.
Cromer said she would retry Wilson on the same charges within 60 days. A pretrial conference has already been scheduled for Dec. 11.
Friday's near-acquittal did not deter Cromer from her efforts to get a conviction, she said, and was not discouraged by Wilson's almost-successful claim of self-defense.
“I never did quite figure out what their defense was,” Cromer said.
Wilson remains jailed in Los Angeles County on
$2 million bail.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Hayden Zacky presided over the case.
Wilson was an All-America candidate and second-team Big Sky Conference defensive back for the Grizzlies in 2006, starting all 14 games. He would have been a senior in the fall of 2007.
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Marylor Wilson wrote on Nov 22, 2008 8:00 AM:
"Wilson remains jailed in Los Angeles County on $2 million bail," which means that someone paid $2 million to have Wilson "remain in jail." Which is ludicrous. "