I would be happily surprised by a verdict today, but I think it is probably still too early. The evidence and the charge were both complicated, and my guess is that we’ll see that reflected in the length of deliberation.
I don't know- I'm still trying to figure out why they would request closing arguments. Did one or more believe they heard something in the closing arguments that Codes hadn't addressed in his Charge? Dungey's was basically, MS wasn't involved, didn't know LB etc. DM was "LB isn't even dead" and "that was a deer in the incinerator" and Cameron's was a complete before, during and after synopsis of the murder. Maybe the Jury is questioning why CN wasn't there since DM eluded to the fact that the Crown didn't call her because they were hiding something from the Jury.
I find their request concerning. From my experience on various Boards that coincidently seem to always have 12 Directors, it's been my experience that usually all Directors are unanimous on an issue; but if its a more contiguous issue, there's usually 2 or 3 voting against it, very seldom 1.
The 2 or 3 usually state some type of fear for not going with the majority. It's the "what if" seconded by "not having enough information" to make such a serious decision. I can see a Jury being the same and just like a Board of Directors, it really depends on the leadership abilities of the ones opposed. Can they convince the rest that they should have this fear as well.
The fear is real for them- are they making a mistake and convicting an innocent person? The argument would be that there's doubt that LB is even dead. What if she showed up tomorrow? The second concern is that there's no indication aside for "that girl" indicating that MS even knew LB. Dungey said as much and DM's closing was that LB wasn't dead.
I'm trusting that there's some good leadership skills on the Jury that can assist on connecting the dots for those that may have fears or doubts. IMO, this 3rd full day of deliberation is very important. This Jury has sat thru a long trial. Some may have lost the Juror they were closest to when the cuts were made. 3 days and nights being sequestered (FWIW, I can't imagine being locked up with my fellow Directors until we made a unanimous decision on something that pales in comparison to a verdict in a murder trial!)
This is so much more difficult than the TB trial, where even MS via his testimony said he was there. Hopefully they're not stuck on the whether or not LB is deceased and it's just MS. Then, hopefully if it's just MS, they can put all the puzzle pieces together to calm the fears of anyone who are concerned about his involvement. I'm not holding out a lot of hope for today and because it's so close to Christmas, some Jurors may be getting a tad bit impatient; that may slow things down as well. I'll be thrilled if I'm wrong! MOO