WA: hung jury for Cowboy Mike

From the Yakima Herald-Republic,

Deadlocked jury forces 'Cowboy Mike' mistrial

In what may have been his greatest escape to date, "Cowboy Mike" (Braae) wriggled out of a conviction Tuesday when the Yakima County Superior Court jury, after three grueling days of deliberations, deadlocked 11-1 in favor of a guilty verdict...

Braae's attorney, Rick Smith, said he thinks it would be wise to send Braae to Olympia, where Thurston County prosecutors have been building a murder case there for several years...

Update 05/11/06: thus has it come to pass -

Michael “Cowboy Mike” Braae pleaded not guilty this afternoon in Thurston County Superior Court to charges of first-degree murder and rape.