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Jury Deadlocked, Told To Try Again In Trial Of Woman Accused Of Killing Child

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - The jury has been sent home for the night after reporting to the judge earlier in the day that they were deadlocked in the trial of a woman charged in the death of her 3-year-old daughter.

The jury of nine women and three men has been deliberating the fate of Adrienne Williams for three days now.

Williams, 27, is charged with homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse in the June 2015 death of her daughter Adrionna Williams. Prosecutors said the girl was asphyxiated and left in a wooded area in Swissvale.

This morning, jurors resumed deliberations for a third day. However, just before noon the jury said they were deadlocked.

After deliberating for about two hours, the jury asked Judge Anthony Mariani, "What actions need to be taken if deliberations are stalled due to arguments being made without factual support?"

The judge then re-read instructions and ordered the jury to go back and try once again to reach a verdict.

Prosecutors pointed to evidence that they say puts Williams at the crime scene.

The defense argued that it's all circumstantial.

Yesterday, jurors asked the judge for a definition of what that means. They also asked him to explain pre-meditation.

After several more hours of deliberations Thursday afternoon, the judge sent the jurors home for the night. They will return to the courthouse Friday and resume deliberations at 9 a.m.

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