The trial of a woman accused of encouraging her son to kill a woman ended in a mistrial after issues with the jury — including one juror who did crossword puzzles during testimony and deliberations.
The juror issues occurred during the murder trial of Sheila Agee, according to reports from NBC 15, WKRG and the Pensacola News-Journal. Agee is accused of telling her son, Keith Agee, to kill the mother of his children, Brooklyn Sims, who was murdered in a Home Depot in August 2023, PEOPLE previously reported.
According to the outlets, the mistrial was declared on Wednesday, Nov. 20 after Judge Coleman Robinson ruled in favor of a motion submitted by the defense.
“There is a particular juror who has not treated this case, and it’s evident, with the seriousness it should have,” Robinson told the jury, according to the News-Journal. “And it continued back into the deliberation room.”
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Other jurors said that one juror had done a crossword puzzle during testimony and another during deliberations.
The juror told WKRG that she could “hear and was listening,” despite doing the puzzle and that she didn’t know that she wasn’t supposed to.
The News-Journal and NBC 15 reported that jurors also reported that there were racial issues with the jury and that one juror told the judge she didn’t feel physically safe.
Another juror told the judge he has a pacemaker and that the arguments in the deliberation room could affect it, NBC 15 reported. The outlet reports Sheila’s new trial will begin Feb. 5.
Keith Agee was arrested the day after the fatal shooting, which occurred at the Home Depot where Sims worked, PEOPLE previously reported. Sheila was arrested in Alabama days later.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office released alleged text messages sent by Sheila to her son before he committed the crime. In them, police say she encouraged her son to kill Sims.
“As long as you don’t shoot me,” Sheila wrote in one of the messages.
In December, Keith was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, the outlets reported.
