A former prep school student has been cleared of murder after he was accused of stabbing a 17-year-old to death amid a fight about beer in a glitzy Connecticut town.
Raul Elias Valle, now 20, was found not guilty of murder, manslaughter or assault over the May 14, 2022 killing of Fairfield Prep student James ‘Jimmy’ McGrath.
A jury reached a partial verdict Wednesday afternoon. The judge declared a mistrial on the lesser charges the jury could not come to a decision on, including first-degree reckless manslaughter.
Valle looked relieved as his lip quivered and his eyes began welling up with tears while the verdict was read more than three years after McGrath’s death.
During the trial, prosecutors said Valle used a pocketknife to stab four teenagers, including McGrath, following a feud between groups of boys from rival schools at an earlier party.
Valle was charged with one count of murder, two counts of assault in the first degree and one count of assault in the second degree.
Jury deliberations started Monday, and during that time they notified the court that they were ‘hopelessly’ deadlocked on the murder charge filed against Valle.
They also said they were not able to reach a unanimous decision on the other lesser charges.
Raul Elias Valle, now 20, was found not guilty of murder, manslaughter or assault Wednesday as he looked relieved when the verdict was read aloud
Valle was on trial for the May 14, 2022 killing of Fairfield Prep student James ‘Jimmy’ McGrath (pictured)
The jury asked to go over Valle’s testimony on Tuesday about the feud that led to the fatal stabbing, and after they did so, they resumed deliberations but were unable to come to a decision before being sent home for the day.
This is a breaking news story.
