Jury deadlocks in baby sitter rape trial

FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A Superior Court jury could not reach a verdict in the trial of a man charged with raping a baby sitter at knifepoint.

The jury informed the judge Friday it was deadlocked in the trial of 38-year-old William Jones.

The District Attorney's office did not immediately say if it would retry the case.

The 17-year-old baby sitter told jurors that Jones sexually assaulted her two nights in a row late last year. But Jones repeatedly denied the young woman's accusations, saying nothing happened.

Jones was indicted in November on two counts of first-degree sexual assault. Each count carried up to 30 years in prison.

One juror said the jury spent most of their four days of deliberations re-examining the trial testimony, trying to figure out who was telling the truth.