CLEVELAND — A judge in Ohio has declared a mistrial in the murder trial of the brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles.
Jurors told the judge during the third day of deliberations on Monday that copies of legal briefs from Tevin Biles-Thomas’ lawyers and prosecutors were among the evidence given to them during deliberations.
The paperwork included arguments over whether Biles-Thomas might have acted in self-defense.
All 12 jurors told the judge they had been influenced by the information outlined in the briefs. It is not immediately clear how the briefs came to be included with the evidence handed to the jury.
Biles-Thomas, a U.S. Army soldier, is charged with murder in a 2018 New Year’s Eve party shooting in Cleveland that left three men dead. He pleaded not guilty.
Authorities said gunfire broke out when a group of men arrived uninvited to a party. Nineteen-year-old DelVaunte Johnson, 21-year-old Toshaun Banks, and 23-year-old DeVaughn Gibson were killed.
In September 2019, after Biles-Thomas was arrested and charged, Simone Biles tweeted that her "heart aches for everyone involved."