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After 11 hours Friday, jurors could not reach a verdict in the Curtis Vey, Angela Nicholson murder conspiracy trial.
They’ll be back in court Saturday morning at 9 a.m. to resume deliberations.
Both were arrested and charged July 6, 2013 after Vey’s wife made a secret recording of the two allegedly discussing how to best set a house on fire and when to meet once the deed was done.
Crown prosecutor Lori O’Connor referred to the recording numerous times during her closing statement, and said “it’s not just talk between two lovers, it’s a detailed plan”.
She admitted neither party directly came out and said “let’s kill our spouses,” but said the inference was there and couldn’t be ignored when Vey and Nicholson discussed wills, sleeping pills and grease fires.
In the end, O’Connor said the conversation on the alleged plot was not concerned with “could or should,” but instead focused on “when and how”.
Both Vey’s lawyer Aaron Fox and Nicholson’s lawyer Ron Piche talked about the initial recording but focused more on the admissions from the two during their time under interrogation and in their cells with a planted undercover RCMP officer.
Fox and Piche both described how many times both accused said they could have never gone through with the alleged plan.
Fox said in the recorded talks, Vey lashed out at his family after years of being under suspicion for having an affair, which he was with Nicholson.
The court had previously heard from Vey on how his wife monitored his calls and emails, and how just one day before the recording was made, had patted him down to see if he was carrying a second cell phone.
Vey allegedly also knew he was being recorded on the day when he had Nicholson over for a visit when they discussed their alleged plans.
“The conversation is offensive and the conduct not good, but it’s not criminal,” Fox concluded.
Piche said Nicholson had very little motive to try to kill her estranged husband Jim Taylor since their relationship had, in her own words, been getting better.
“This case and the evidence is all speculative, and people in this country don’t get convicted of suspicion,” he said.
