The first-degree murder trial of Edward Broom was declared a mistrial in Leflore County Circuit Court at 2 p.m. today following a day and a half of evidence presented by prosecutors.
District Attorney Tim Jones said he will retry the case during the next session of the Fourth Circuit Court in January 2018.
Jury selection was completed on Monday, and opening statements were presented in the case on Tuesday. Jones told the assembled jury he would present extensive circumstantial evidence proving that Broom killed his wife, Lakeyla Broom, on Sept. 21, 2014, at their home at 710 W. President Ave. in Greenwood.
Edward Broom, who was not arrested in the case initially, was indicted by a Leflore County grand jury in January 2016 and has been in custody in the Leflore County Jail since that time.
Broom was arrested in Manhattan, Kansas, where he had relocated, and was extradited to Greenwood.
Following Judge Carol White-Richard’s order of a mistrial, Broom’s defense attorney, Neysha Sanders, asked that he be remanded to the custody of his family. Jones said he considered Broom a danger to the community and a flight risk and urged that he remain in custody without bail.
White-Richard said she would take both arguments into consideration and would rule later on the conditions of Mr. Broom’s custody. For now, he remains in the Leflore County Jail.
For more details, see Thursday’s Commonwealth.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
