Raymond Perry, who now uses the name Tariq Kyam, was facing murder and robbery charges for the Feb. 22, 2009, shooting of Pritchard, then just 29. Pritchard was a Boonton resident at the time of his death but he had grown up in Verona.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office had gotten Perry’s cousin, David Fate, to plead guilty to being an accomplice to the slaying and Fate testified against Perry in the trial.
On Tuesday, the jury ended its fourth day of deliberations by advising court officials that they were “hopelessly deadlocked”. Judge Petrolle asked the jury to resume deliberations, but it was to no avail.
A spokeswoman for the Prosecutor’s Office said this afternoon that it intends to retry Perry.
