Mistrial in Paige murder trial after defendant's revelation

YOUNGSTOWN

The defendant in a 2012 murder case over stolen electricity never told a judge until a jury was picked to hear his case that he asked a federal court to free him from jail.

Judge Maureen Sweeney declared a mistrial Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in the case against Michael Paige, 23, who is charged with the March 1, 2012, death of Munir Blake, 31.

Paige was tried before Judge Sweeney for Blake’s death in early 2014 and a jury found him not guilty of aggravated murder – or prior calculation and design – but could not reach unanimous verdicts on lesser charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

Because of that, prosecutors elected to try Blake again, this time on a charge of murder.

Read more about the case in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.