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Hawaii News

Jury to continue its deliberations despite deadlock

MPD / 2014

Carly “Charli” Scott, pictured. The Maui woman’s ex-boyfriend, Steven Capobianco, has been on trial since June on murder and arson charges after she disappeared in 2014.

The jury deciding the fate of a man charged with killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend on Maui decided Wednesday to continue deliberating after reporting it was deadlocked.

After the jury notified the court Tuesday about the impasse on a murder and arson charge against Steven Capobianco, an individual juror raised concerns that there may be some disagreement about that decision.

Maui Judge Joseph Cardoza granted the juror a chance to speak with him and the lawyers in a private meeting in court Wednesday. After the meeting, Cardoza asked the jury whether it needed more time, and jurors responded that they would continue deliberations to “feel more confident in their own personal vote decision.”

The jury also requested more transcripts from evidence, which the court said will be provided Monday. The jury foreperson then also requested to speak to the judge, which he granted.

Capobianco had been on trial since June in the death of Carly “Charli” Scott. Her mother and sisters last saw her Feb. 9, 2014.

After Scott’s disappearance, Capobianco told a Hawaii News Now reporter that he saw Scott on the night her family says she vanished but that he had nothing to do with her disappearance. He said Scott picked him up and drove him to his pickup truck, which had broken down. He said that after he fixed his truck, Scott was driving behind him, but he lost sight of her and figured she arrived safely at her destination.

After weeks of searching, police found some of her bloodstained clothing and jawbone, which ended any hope she might still be alive. Capobianco is accused of torching Scott’s sport utility vehicle in an attempt to cover up the killing.

Capobianco didn’t testify during his trial.

Jurors listened to an interview with a detective during which Capobianco repeatedly referred to Scott in the past tense even though it wasn’t yet known that she was dead.

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