Murder case set for retrial; First trial ended in hung jury

The murder trial for Justin Edward Patterson, whose first trial ended in a hung jury, has been reset for March, according to St. Mary Parish clerk of court records.
Patterson, 28, was charged with second-degree murder in the May 20, 2013, shooting death of Mikki Jay Dauntain in Morgan City. He also faces the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
District Judge Lewis Pitman declared a mistrial Dec. 9 in Patterson’s case when the jury deadlocked after over seven hours of deliberations. The trial began Dec. 6.
At a Dec. 15 bond reduction hearing, Pitman ordered Patterson’s bail to be reduced from $250,000 to $100,000, and also re-fixed his trial date for 9 a.m. March 20. Patterson’s attorney, Suzanne deMahy, had motioned for his bail to be set at $25,000.
According to the prosecution, Patterson allegedly intended to kill Brandon Scott on the night of May 20, 2013, in the area of Federal Avenue and Garber Street, but inadvertently shot and killed Dauntain, 23.
Witnesses who knew Patterson testified for the prosecution, saying that Patterson wanted to get revenge for an April 2013 robbery in the city of Patterson in which he and his girlfriend, Ashley Rudolph, were victims.
Prosecutor Anthony Saleme said that the jury should find Patterson guilty of second-degree murder through “transferred intent.” Even though Patterson didn’t mean to kill Dauntain, he intended to kill Scott and the intent should, therefore, be applied to Dauntain’s death.
In closing statements, deMahy said that inconsistencies in different witness’ versions of the same events, provides “reasonable doubt,” and the jury should find Patterson not guilty.
DeMahy also said investigators focused on Patterson as the sole suspect in the case because Dauntain’s girlfriend, Natasha Garner, identified him as the shooter. Police failed to investigate anyone else who could have been involved, deMahy said.