Mistrial Declared in New Bedford Murder By Fire

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) _ The trial of a Rhode Island man charged with killing a man whose body was found in his burned out Massachusetts home has ended with a hung jury.

A New Bedford Superior Court judge on Monday declared a mistrial in the case of Sayyid Coggins after several failed attempts to break a deadlocked jury.

The Providence man was charged with murder and arson in the April 2014 death of 29-year-old Justin Downey. Downey's body was found by firefighters who extinguished a blaze at his home.

Coggins left the area and was tracked down in Georgia.

A spokesman for Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III says a retrial is planned.

Coggins' attorney, Frank Camera, says there is ``no evidence, no witnesses and no motive.''