PHOENIX — The trial of George Kelly, the southern Arizona rancher accused of shooting and killing a migrant on his property near the U.S.-Mexico border in 2023, has ended in a mistrial.
Kelly's trial had lasted nearly a month before the jury began deliberations last Thursday.
The 75-year-old was charged with second-degree murder for shooting and killing 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea on Jan. 30, 2023.
Cuen-Buitimea lived just south of the border and court records showed he had previously entered the U.S. illegally and been deported, most recently in 2016.
Prosecutors said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, which included Cuen-Buitimea. The group was about 100 yards away on Kelly's property when the shots were fired.
Kelly said he fired warning shots in the air, but never shot directly at anyone.
The bullet that killed Cuen-Buitimea was never found. Investigators did find nine shell casings on the patio of Kelly's home.
The trial began on March 22 and included jurors visiting Kelly's ranch outside of Nogales. He had also been charged with aggravated assault.
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