Jury in Rodney Hinton Jr. Murder Trial Returns Thursday After Six Hours Without a Verdict

A Hamilton County jury spent six hours on its first day of deliberations in the murder trial of Rodney Hinton Jr. without reaching a verdict. The twelve jurors are scheduled to resume at 9:00 a.m. Thursday.

Their decision must be unanimous. If the panel cannot agree, it is considered a hung jury, and the judge would declare a mistrial. In that event, prosecutors may choose to retry the case before a new jury.

Jurors are weighing whether Hinton intentionally killed Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson, whether he was legally insane when it happened, or whether he committed a lesser offense. Henderson was struck and killed by Hinton's car on May 2, 2025. The day before, Hinton had watched body camera video showing his son being killed by police.

The jury heard roughly two weeks of testimony. Members visited the crash scene and listened to witnesses as well as psychological experts.

Prosecutors argue the crash was no accident and that Hinton was seeking revenge for his son's death. The defense contends that Hinton was actually aiming for a nearby utility pole in an attempt to end his own life.

Thursday is expected to offer hints about how much longer deliberations might last. Fanon Rucker, an attorney and retired judge, explained that communication from the jury, or the absence of it, can indicate how far along the panel is.

Rucker described the usual process. After receiving the judge's instructions, jurors retire to the deliberation room, where they go through those instructions and then review the evidence they are permitted to take with them. They are advised to talk through the case among themselves and to avoid rushing to a decision.

Jurors may also send questions to the court during this stage. Rucker offered an example of what they might ask: "Wait a minute, maybe the judge needs to explain to us, what exactly is proof beyond a reasonable doubt?"