Thursday, 4:30 PM
Worthington jury breaks for weekend with no verdict
(Globe File Photos)
Christopher M. McCowen (left) is accused of the 2002 rape and murder of Christa Worthington (right) in her Cape Cod home.
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff
Despite asking two questions about reasonable doubt, the jury in the Christa Worthington murder trial ended its fourth day of deliberations without a verdict this afternoon and broke for the weekend.
The 12-member panel of seven women and five men is considering almost three weeks of testimony in a case that has drawn worldwide attention. Spectators in the crowded courtroom, which included reporters from "Dateline," "48 Hours," and "Court TV," had anticipated a verdict this morning when jurors asked Judge Gary Nickerson to define "reasonable doubt."
However, after Nickerson explained that reasonable doubt meant proof to a "moral certainty," jurors deliberated for another five hours without a result. Just before 4 p.m., they broke for the weekend.
"Relax. Come in here Monday morning refreshed and ready to go back to work," Nickerson told the jury, reminding them not to read about or discuss the case. "Stay away from every temptation this weekend. I'll see you 9 a.m. Monday."
Worthington, 46, was found in her Truro home in January 2002 lying half-naked on the kitchen floor, dead from a stab wound to the chest. Her toddler, Ava, was unhurt but smeared with her mother's blood.
The fashion writer's trash collector, Christopher M. McCowen, 34, has been accused of aggravated rape and murder and could face life in prison if convicted.
