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New trial in January in 'Joe Cool' mystery

MIAMI, Oct. 7 (UPI) --

A Florida judge scheduled a new trial for a defendant in the alleged kidnapping and killing of four people on the charter fishing boat Joe Cool.

Guillermo Zarabozo will be back in Miami federal court in January to face charges in connection with the disappearances of the crew of the boat last year.

A jury in the same federal court convicted Zarabozo on four gun counts but was deadlocked on 12 counts of kidnapping, robbery and the deaths of the couple that owned the Joe Cool and their two crewmen.

The Miami Herald said the court had yet to decide if Zarabozo would be tried again on the firearms charges.

Defense attorneys contend the jurors apparently didn't understand the legal implications of Zarabozo's possession of a handgun aboard the boat and urged U.S. District Judge Paul Huck to throw out the convictions and "start with a clean slate."

Further arguments were scheduled for Friday, the Herald said.

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