A Summit County jury ended its first full day of deliberations Wednesday without reaching verdicts in the capital murder trial of Dawud El Spaulding of Akron.
The jury, which is sequestered at an undisclosed location, was given the case at 2 p.m. Tuesday following closing arguments in Common Pleas Judge Paul Gallagher’s court.
Spaulding, 30, of East Buchtel Avenue, faces the death penalty in the Dec. 15 slayings of Ernie Thomas and Erica Singleton and the shooting of Patrick Griffin hours earlier that day.
Spaulding is facing two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted murder, felonious assault, illegal possession of a weapon, domestic violence, felony stalking, intimidation of a crime victim or witness and violating a protection order.
There also are various specifications attached to the most serious felonies.
Prosecutors say Spaulding went to Thomas’ home, looking for Singleton, and shot Griffin first about 2 a.m.
After fleeing, Spaulding returned about six hours later and shot Singleton and Thomas moments after they left his front porch, prosecutors contend.
Singleton was the mother of Spaulding’s 7-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.
The shooting left Griffin paralyzed.