NATCHEZ — The second trial of a Natchez teenager accused in the 2014 shooting death of another teen ended Friday just like the first trial, with a hung jury.

After almost two hours of deliberations Friday, a jury of 12 — six black women, four white women, two black men and one white man — could not reach a unanimous verdict on the murder charge against 19-year-old Eddie Minor III. The hung jury prompted Sixth Judicial District Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson to declare a mistrial on the murder charge.

The jury, however, did find Minor guilty of armed robbery on the second day of the retrial. The trial concluded at approximately 5 p.m. Friday and was a retrial following a November 2015 mistrial for both charges.

Johnson sentenced Minor to 35 years in prison, with credit for time served.

Minor was accused of robbing and subsequently shooting and killing 16-year-old Jessie E. Taylor on Dec. 29, 2014, on Beaumont Street in Natchez. Minor was alleged to have committed the crimes with his co-defendant, Emanuel C. Latham, 17, whose trial is set for next week.

Minor maintained his innocence before sentencing, saying he did not rob or plan to rob Taylor in a statement he handwrote at the defense table prior to sentencing.

“To (Taylor’s family), I surely do apologize for the incident that took place … (but) I played no part in it,” Minor said in the statement read by his attorney Carmen Brooks. “Maybe over the years, the truth will come out … but I had nothing to do with it.”

Latham’s testimony Friday recreated the general storyline presented during the trial of what occurred on the night of the murder.

Latham testified Minor called him to hang out that night, so Latham came to Beaumont Street to the residence of Kateria Noble, where Noble, her brother Tywone Noble and others were gathered. Kateria Noble also testified Friday.

Latham said Taylor rode up on his bicycle, asked for synthetic marijuana, and Minor told him he had some, but they would have to go to a house up the street to retrieve it. Once there, Latham testified Minor instructed Taylor to wait outside while Minor and Latham went inside. Latham said Minor told him to wait in the living room, while Minor retrieved two handguns from the back, giving a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol to Latham and keeping a revolver for himself.

Latham said Minor told him to follow his lead, and the pair went outside with the guns, and Minor told Taylor to give up what he had on him. Latham testified then that Minor attempted to take Taylor’s gun, which Latham said was in Taylor’s waistband, and a scuffle broke out, with Taylor eventually trying to walk away.

Minor then shot toward Taylor’s feet, Latham testified, and Taylor began to hurry away from Minor near Wallace Court toward Woodlawn Avenue.

Latham said Minor then shot again, and Taylor grabbed his backside as if he had been struck by a bullet. Taylor then, Latham said, fired a shot behind himself while hurrying down the road and without turning around.

Latham testified that he emptied the clip in his gun after he thought a bullet flew by his head.

“To me, it sounded like a bullet came by my head, and I got scared, and I just started shooting.”

Kateria Noble testified that she recalled seeing Latham come into her view shooting at Taylor, and then Taylor shot back, an inconsistency Brooks later pointed out during closing arguments. District Attorney Ronnie Harper rebutted the inconsistency, saying Noble had testified Taylor was limping when he came out of the alleyway, so he must have already been shot when he came into her view.

When asked by Brooks during cross-examination, Latham said he was confessing his role in the crimes on the stand.

When Brooks asked, Latham said he had nothing to gain by testifying against Minor.

During closing arguments, Brooks insinuated that Latham has a deal with the district attorney’s office for leniency in exchange for his testimony.

“We know there’s a deal,” she told the jury. “We are not crazy. … You did not check your good sense at the door. … I know you don’t buy that (Latham doesn’t have a deal).”

Harper objected to Brooks’ comments, saying he found the accusation his office had cut a deal with Latham insulting.

During his closing arguments, Harper emphatically told the jury he had not offered Latham a deal.

“There is one person in this county that can make a promise or deal, and that is me, and I can promise you that has not happened,” he said. “Now, I’m not stupid. … I know he’s up here hoping it will help him, or impress me or, more importantly, the judge.”

Brooks and her defense co-counsel Shameca Collins worked throughout the trial to erode the credibility of the case’s police work, particularly the investigation by lead investigator and now retired Natchez Police detective Otis Mazique.

Brooks repeatedly pointed out that no search warrants were issued in the case, no consent-to-search form is in the case file for the single house search police allegedly conducted, no attempt was made to verify the cell number of Minor given to police so phone records could be presented to corroborate Latham’s testimony, no attempts were made to contact other witnesses and no audio or video recordings were made of statements initially given to police by Minor and Latham.

When questioned by Brooks, Kateria Noble named others at her residence before the shooting and said she would have given police contact information “because it would have been good information to have,” but was never asked by police.

Brooks told the jury during her closing arguments that she respected Mazique personally and professionally.

“I don’t have a problem with Otis Mazique,” she said. “I know they say when I’m doing my job, I’m against police. I’m not.

“What I’m talking about here is not CSI. … I’m talking about just talking and knocking (on doors),” Brooks said, knocking on the courtroom podium.

During his closing arguments, Harper reminded the jury of the Thursday testimony of former Natchez police officer Paulesha McBride and Mazqiue, both of whom told jurors Taylor told them two black males robbed and shot him before he lost consciousness and later died.

“I don’t know about y’all, but Emanuel Latham doesn’t look like two people to me.”

Harper said it “seems to be the trend in these kind of cases to criticize the police and the work they do.”

“I’ve been prosecuting for almost 30 years; I’ve worked with (these law enforcement officers) for a long time. Otis Mazique pretty much since the time I started. I can tell you one thing — these people are serious about their jobs. They try to do a good job. They’re not perfect.”

Harper went on to say he thinks the police did a good job in their investigation, but said police probably could have kept more complete records of their investigation.

“That does not mean this case wasn’t properly investigated,” he said.

When given the chance to speak in court, Taylor’s mother Shaunta Randall asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence on Minor. Outside the courtroom, Randall said the trial did not result in the verdict for which she had hoped, but it would suffice.

“Considering the pitiful investigation that was done (by police) that only lasted 48 hours, that’s about as best as God seen fit,” Randall said. “So God’s will was done.”