UPDATE: After deliberating for nearly three days, a jury has found Deshawn and Tyler Stafford not guilty of one count of involuntary manslaughter for the death of 17-year-old Akron high school student Ethan Liming in the summer of 2022. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the other involuntary manslaughter charge against Deshawn Stafford, and a mistrial was declared for that charge. Both brothers were found guilty of counts of assault and aggravated assault.
You can watch full video of the verdict announcement in the player below:
After over two full days of deliberations, the jury in the trial of Deshawn and Tyler Stafford was still unable to reach a verdict Monday on the charges against the brothers on trial for involuntary manslaughter for the death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming in the summer of 2022.
The presiding judge, Tammy O’Brien, called the jury into the courtroom Monday morning to instruct them to try once again to reach a consensus on the verdict.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the court has been advised that you have had some difficulty reaching a verdict on some counts of the indictment,” O’Brien said Monday morning. “This is a new and difficult assignment for you. The process of discussion and deliberation in the jury room is necessarily slow and requires consideration and patience.”
O’Brien said that while the verdict must reflect the verdict of each individual juror, it should not be “mere acquiescence in the conclusion of other jurors. Each question submitted to you should be examined with proper regard and deference to the opinions of others.”
The trial lasted for less than a week.
Liming died last summer in the parking lot of the I Promise School in Akron.
Two brothers, DeShawn and Tyler Stafford, are the defendants in the case, charged with involuntary manslaughter. They claimed self-defense under Ohio’s Stand Your Ground law. The prosecution has to prove they weren’t trying to defend themselves.
According to police, two of Liming's friends got out of Ethan's car and used an Orbeez toy gun to shoot gel pellets at the basketball players, including the brothers.
Police said as the fight continued, Liming was punched, fell and hit his head on pavement, which caused his death, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner.
