The trial of a driver who killed another motorist in a roadway argument near downtown Little Rock ended Friday with jurors unable to agree whether the slaying was first-degree murder, justifiable homicide or something in-between.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Leon Johnson called a mistrial after the six men and six women told him they would not be able to reach a verdict no matter how much more time they spent together. The jury had deliberated about an hour Friday and about four hours Thursday night.
The judge scheduled a new trial for May.
Authorities accused Chris Aaron Schnarr of North Little Rock of deliberately killing Arista Lee “AJ” Aldridge Jr., 45, on East Sixth Street last year, and he was charged with first-degree murder. Jurors could have convicted him of that charge or the lesser offenses of second-degree murder or manslaughter.
But Schnarr, who turns 30 today, testified that he only shot because the older man, after accosting him and jabbing him in the face, wouldn’t back down when Schnarr drew his pistol. Schnarr told jurors that Aldridge had him cornered and was acting unpredictably while walking toward him.
According to testimony, Aldridge continued to advance even after Schnarr shot him in the arm, but was killed by a shot in his stomach.
Schnarr said he could not risk Aldridge injuring him because he has a heart condition in which the organ was on the wrong side of his body and requires him to avoid any serious physical contact.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Jeff Rosenzweig told jurors his client was a college student on his way to do his homework when he crossed paths with Aldridge, who was “enraged” after the older man had nearly caused a collision between them. Aldridge’s fiancee and 5-yearold son were in his sport utility vehicle with him.
The attorney said Schnarr endured the man’s abuse quietly, even though he had his pistol in his lap, describing Schnarr as a peaceful law-abiding man.
But when Aldridge refused to back down, Schnarr had no way to escape and was unexpectedly forced to take quick action to protect himself, the lawyer said.
“He’s just sitting there, taking it. He gets poked in the face while Aldridge is venting in rage,” Rosenzweig said, calling the criminal charges “Monday-morning quarterbacking.” “Was it reasonable for [Schnarr] to be scared? Aldridge … was the continuing aggressor. This was all Arista Aldridge’s doing because Arista Aldridge was enraged.”
But in the state’s closing arguments, deputy prosecutor Kelly Ward questioned whether Aldridge ever touched Schnarr or that Aldridge had really blocked Schnarr’s Jeep. She said the best evidence was the testimony of a witness who said the first shot was fired while Aldridge had his back to Schnarr.
Ward told jurors that Schnarr, because of his own anger, deliberately prolonged the encounter between the men when he could have easily avoided Aldridge by driving around him, turning down another street or by simply rolling up his car window.
“It’s something silly that turned into someone getting killed because the defendant has a gun,” Ward said. “Mr. Schnarr took it to a whole new level when he reached under his seat and took out his gun.”
She said jurors could tell that Schnarr meant to kill Aldridge because the defendant kept firing even after he knew the man had been wounded “because he shoots [Aldridge] until he falls on the ground. He’s the one in the car. He’s the one with the gun. He’s the one in control” of the situation.
She asked jurors to remember Schnarr’s cool demeanor just minutes after the shooting. They had seen Schnarr on a video played at trial that was provided by the state trooper who had taken Schnarr into custody and recorded the defendant in the back of his patrol car.
“He’s like he had just gotten into the wrong line at the grocery store,” Ward said. “He doesn’t look like someone who was just in the fight of his life.”