Mistrial declared on first degree murder charge at Michael Ball trial
Posted Mar 4, 2016 06:35:27 PM.
Last Updated Mar 5, 2016 05:58:01 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A mistrial has been declared on the first degree murder charge at the Michael Ball trial.
The 24-year-old is charged with first degree murder in the death of Erin Howlett.
The jury was unable to come to an unanimous verdict on the charge of first degree murder. They did however find Ball guilty of indignity to a body.
What happens next is up to the Crown attorney’s office if they decide to reprosecute Ball.
He’ll be sentenced Friday March 11, on the charge of committing an indignity to a dead body.
The maximum sentence is five years. However Ball has already spent 23 months in custody so he’s now looking at two years in prison.
Howlett’s body was found in the Grand River in July of 2013 shortly after she went missing.
Friday was the third day of deliberations.
Although charged with first degree murder, jurors had the option of finding Ball guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter instead.
