Jury deadlocks in trial of Alabama man accused of 1988 killing of 11-year-old Massachusetts girl

LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — The trial of a 76-year-old Alabama man accused of the 1988 killing of an 11-year-old girl in Massachusetts has ended with a judge declaring a mistrial. The judge said Wednesday the jury was deadlocked on the murder charge. Marvin C. McClendon Jr. had pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with the death of Melissa Ann Tremblay. McClendon was arrested last year, decades after Tremblay disappeared. Investigators said McClendon was linked to the killing through DNA evidence. McClendon’s lawyer says McClendon is innocent. A spokesperson for the Essex County District Attorney’s office says they plan to retry McClendon.