SAN ANTONIO – Update at 2:30 p.m.:
Since the jury has failed to come up with a unanimous verdict, 399th District Court Judge Frank Castro brought the jury into the courtroom and read them what’s called the Allen Charge, which basically encourages the jury to continue deliberations and arrive at a verdict. If they cannot reach a unanimous verdict after further deliberations, the judge may need to declare a mistrial. Click here to learn more about the Allen Charge.
Original Story:
The jury in the murder trial of Andre McDonald will resume deliberations at 9:15 a.m. on Friday.
The jury began deliberations around 1 p.m. Thursday and were sent home at 6:55 p.m. by 399th District Court Judge Frank Castro.
Jurros can consider a charge of murder or manslaughter.
The Air Force major is facing first-degree felony murder and tampering with evidence charges in connection with the death of his wife, Andreen McDonald, in 2019.
The prosecution and defense presented closing arguments Thursday.
The prosecution said during closing arguments that Andre McDonald killed his wife at their home because he was enraged that she was having an affair, thought she wanted to have him killed by her lover and wanted to open a business in her own name without him knowing about it.
“This is not self-defense, this is a cover-up,” prosecutor Steven Speir said. “This is a man who is only concerned about himself. Blames his wife for everything he did to her.”
The defense countered by telling the jury that the case was not about murder and was about “what kind and degree of responsibility” his client had.
Defense attorney John Convery argued that Andre McDonald takes responsibility for the things he’s done all his life, including the death of his wife. Convery said that Andre McDonald called his sister-in-law and mother-in-law three days before the trial started to tell them his side of the story.
Watch the full proceedings in the video player above and follow along as KSAT’s court reporter Erica Hernandez live tweets from the court room. Keep reading below for background on the case.
Background
Andreen McDonald (left) and Andre McDonald (KSAT)
Andreen McDonald was last seen alive on Feb. 28, 2019.
McDonald was the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance when family and friends reported her missing several days later.
According to court records, he gave investigators conflicting statements on her whereabouts and then stopped cooperating after hiring an attorney.
After months of searching, officials found Andreen’s remains in July 2019, at a private property in far north Bexar County.
Soon after the discovery, Andre McDonald was charged with murder.
Over the past couple of years, McDonald’s case has been reset a few times; first due to the pandemic and then when the prosecution team received additional evidence from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Back on Oct 12, 2022, 399th District Court Judge Frank Castro said there would be no further delays and the trial was set for jury selection to begin on Jan. 17.
The prosecutors for the state are Steven Speir, Ryan Groomer and Lauren Scott.
McDonald’s defense team consists of John Convery and John Hunter.
If found guilty of murder McDonald faces anywhere from 5 to 99 years or life in prison.
Learn more about this case by watching KSAT’s exclusive “Open Court: The Trial of Andre McDonald” on KSAT.com, KSAT Plus or on KSAT’s YouTube channel.
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