HUNG JURY IN BURTON BANK ROBBERY TRIAL
(Washington Co. Jail)
After four and a half hours of deliberation on Wednesday, a jury in the Burton State Bank robbery trial of Shawn Patrick Childers of La Grange could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Seven of the 12 jurors voted that Childers was not guilty of three counts of aggravated robbery of the bank on June 7, 2018. That day, a man wearing a hat, sunglasses and a mask robbed the bank at gunpoint and fled in a white truck with approximately $12,000.
Childers was developed as a suspect after several interviews and investigations into his financial history. That was a key piece of Washington County District Attorney Julie Renken’s arguments to convict Childers, along with establishing a timeline of his actions before, during and after the robbery.
The defense, however, argued that the presented evidence was circumstantial and not enough to prove Childers was guilty, pointing to a lack of DNA, fingerprinting or photographs to connect him to the act.
The trial began on October 3rd with jury selection, and was heard in 21st District Court before Judge Carson Campbell.
Renken said the State has not decided whether to go forward again with the case.