Jurors come back with mistrial in murder case

After six days of testimony, a Logan County jury could not find innocence or guilt in a first degree murder case on late Tuesday.

Jurors, consisting of eight women and four men, took four hours and 20 minutes in deliberation and determined they were not going to agree on whether or not Lance Alan Solomon committed murder against James Fox.

The vote came back 7-5.

It was not mentioned inside the courtroom, whether the jurors were leaning toward guilty or not guilty. The foreman said in hour three of their deliberations a vote was taken and a 6-6 vote was recorded.

The jurors began their deliberations at 4:17 p.m.and returned with their decision at 8:37 p.m.

Solomon was charged in the brutal death of Fox, who was found dead on December 14, 2014 inside his residence at 8300 Holly Hill Drive in southern Logan County. Related story: Homicide victim identified; investigation continues

The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Fox, 65, died of blunt force trauma to the head.

A medical examiner testified that the killing was intentional and not accidental. Fox was found covered up, including with a rain coat, underneath a bed in the bedroom.

With no murder weapon, the state attorneys relied heavily on circumstantial evidence in their case against Solomon.

The state showed video surveillance of Solomon and Fox together on Dec. 2 inside a Wal-Mart. Fox was wearing the same clothes in the surveillance video when he was found underneath the bed by a concerned neighbor.

Fox’s vehicle was stolen from the home and was later found 10 days later in Mississippi. Fox’s cell phone and credit card were also stolen during the crime. The telephone and credit card were tracked electronically from Oklahoma to Houston, TX then later to Mississippi and then to Detroit, Michigan.

In Jan. 2015, Solomon was apprehended by Michigan State Police.

Solomon’s attorney, Joan Lopez, said law enforcement officers did not follow-up on other leads from other potential suspects in the case.

She said other suspects belonged in the defendant’s courtroom chair and not Solomon.

Lopez further explained there was no fingerprints (outside of the Wal-Mart sacks) or DNA from Solomon found inside the home.

Solomon will be back in court on Jan. 5 to begin setting a new trial date.