The trial of Daniel Asiedu, charged with the murder of former Abuakwa North MP JB Danquah, is headed for a retrial after a hung jury delivered an inconclusive verdict.

The seven-member jury was split 4:3 in favor of a not-guilty verdict, leading Justice Lydia Osei Marfo to discharge the jury under Section 285(4) of the Criminal and Other Offenses (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30). The court deemed the decision insufficient to conclude the case.

Despite the split verdict, Asiedu remains in custody as ordered by the judge.

The case, which dates back to 2016, involves allegations that Asiedu robbed and fatally stabbed the late MP at his residence. Following a psychiatric evaluation in 2021 that deemed him fit for trial, Asiedu’s plea was taken, and the trial commenced.

The retrial aims to provide clarity and resolution to this high-profile murder case, which has captivated national attention.

The prosecution alleged that Daniel Asiedu accessed the late MP JB Danquah’s home by climbing a ladder to enter his room.

At the time of the attack, the night security guard was reportedly asleep. According to the prosecution, Asiedu struggled with the MP, overpowered him, and fatally stabbed him in the chest and neck before fleeing with three phones.

Police investigations revealed that Asiedu had sustained a knife wound on his palm during the attack and later washed off the blood at a neighboring house.

Following the incident, Asiedu handed over the stolen phones to a family friend of his girlfriend, asking him to charge and unlock them.

The prosecution’s third witness testified that one phone, unknowingly unlocked, contained pictures of the deceased MP.

Alarmed by this discovery, the witness contacted Ursula Owusu, whose number was found on the device. This led to a report being filed with the police and Asiedu’s subsequent arrest.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence from eight witnesses to establish their case of robbery and murder.

The late MP’s driver recounted his activities with the MP on the day of the murder, while the night security guard admitted to dozing off during his shift but raised an alarm after noticing a ladder repositioned under the MP’s window.

A neighbor testified that Asiedu washed blood off his hands at her house shortly after the attack. Additionally, forensic experts linked Asiedu to the crime scene through DNA evidence, and the investigator stated that Asiedu confessed to the crime.

The defense, however, argued that the prosecution’s narrative was fabricated and lacked credible evidence.

They questioned the reliability of the pathologist’s report, which was completed two years after the autopsy due to the theft of the pathologist’s laptop.

The defense also raised concerns about the competence of the DNA analyst, asserting that the analysis was conducted by a third-party company and not directly by the expert who testified.

Furthermore, they criticized the lack of forensic testing on the alleged murder weapon and challenged the jury’s inability to verify whether the phones belonged to the deceased.

Despite the prosecution's evidence, the jury returned a split decision of 4:3 in favor of not guilty on both charges of robbery and murder. The presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, declared the verdict inconclusive and discharged the jury, citing the need for a retrial to resolve the case definitively.