Bobby Lee Pearson : Man dies hours after freed by jury mistake

A Central California judge was left with no choice but to free a career criminal Wednesday after a jury accidentally filled out a not-guilty form. One hour later, the freed man was found fatally stabbed in a city street.

Just hours before Pearson’s death, a jury signed a not-guilty form because they did not have one for a deadlock; jurors were split 8 to 4 in favor of finding Pearson guilty. The judge had to let Pearson go because the not-guilty verdict was put on the record. Pearson then went to his sister’s house to reclaim some property, and began to argue with her boyfriend, Willie Gray. The fight continued outside, and when police arrived, a steak knife was found next to Pearson.

If a mistrial had been declared, prosecutor Billy Terrence said he would have retried Pearson, who was facing 15 to 20 years in prison. “We would have continued prosecution on him and he would still be in custody,” he said. “The idea that he was released under those circumstances and it ended for him like that is very unfortunate.”

Agencies/Canadajournal