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By BEN FUNK MIAMI. Fla. (APJ - A once-deadlocked jury came back Sunday to find Candaco Messier. a wealthy and vivacious blonde, and her nephew, Melvin Lane Powers, innocent of the ir.urder of her husband.Hundreds of curious persons mobbed the courthouse in downtown Miami, fighting for a glimpse of the principals in one of the longest and moat lurid criminal trials in Florida hislo-ry. It lasted fur seven weeks.As llio verdicts — brought inafter 16 hours and 33 minutes of deliberation — were read. Mrs. Mossier broke into tears and Powers breathed an audible sigh of relief, then smiled.It is like a horrible nightmare has ended, she said, not only for myself, but for my poor little children back home. I left them crying.”Mrs. Mossier and Powers had been charged in Ute brutal slaying of Jacques Mossier. The 69-y ear-old financier was bludgeoned and stabbed *.o death June 30, 19M.Late in the afternoon. Mrs Mossier and Powers held i news conference at the Du Pon Plaza Hotel. They said they hai no plans to marry*, “no inlen lions In that direction.”We just want to relax anc get our lives established over again.’’ she said.' Powers, speaking in a low. shy voice, said, *‘I just want tc thank, everybody. He said he planned to go back to Houston. Tex., in a few days and pick up where I left off.Alter being discharged by Circuit Court Judge Ceorge Schulz,Mrs. Mossier, who says she is 40, and Powers, 29, crowded into an anteroom and there were tears in the eyes of both. They embraced and kissed.They were said to have beer.In the midst of a torrid love affair and the state accused '.hem of killing Mrs. Mosslcr’s husband in order to gain control of his ?33 million business empire.The defense, in closing argument, lold the jury the state's circumstantial evidence case proved only that they were loversA hint of Hie jury's decision was seen on the face of Jessie •Youmans, who smiled at the ]defendants as the jury entered Ithe courtroom to render its ver- idiet shortly before noon.The jury had reported Satur- *day that it was hopelessly dead- tlocked over the fate of the de- vfondants. but the judge told the ijurors to go back and try again. t\Tt was just one hour and 32 ),(Continued Page 12, Col. 3) Br*. i
Newspaper Details
Montana Standard Post
Butte, Montana, US
Mon, Mar 07, 1966
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Ronald S.
USA 13 Apr 2017
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