HAMILTON, Ohio — The family of four people executed in West Chester spoke publicly for the first time since a jury failed to reach a verdict in the Gurpreet Singh trial.
Butler County prosecutors spent three weeks trying to prove Singh executed his wife Shalinderjit Kaur; her parents Hakiakat Singh Pannag and Parmjit Kaur; and Parmjit's sister, Amarjit Kaur.
Though disappointed, Amarjit's son sees reason for hope.
"I just want to say thanks to all the jurors and the rest of the American people and the Sikh community," Garry Hans said on a video call Wednesday afternoon.
Five days ago, Hans sat in the super courtroom inside Butler County's courthouse expecting to hear a verdict. He and his family hoped jurors found Singh guilty. Moments before Judge Howard announced the jury's decision, Hans sat bowed in prayer. Then, he looked toward the sky hoping his loved ones would see justice. Instead, they heard no verdict. The trial ended with a hung jury.
"Still, we are crying every day because of that," Hans said.
Since then, Hans barely sleeps and he refuses to go back home to Melbourne, Australia until he sees resolution. He and his family members suffered through weeks of testimony and gory details of their loved ones' final moments.
Court transcripts document "bickering," "screaming" and "hostility" between two jurors over one member's doubt about DNA evidence linking Singh to the murders.
"It was shocking for the whole family," Hans said. "It doesn't make any sense to us. He murdered my family. There's blood there everywhere. I don't know why it's like this."
Hans said family members plan to attend every hearing and expect the next trial to be different. He said Singh's children, who live in the same house in California where Hans is staying, want closure too.
"The kids want justice for their mother as well cause this coward didn't kill one mother that day," Hans said. "He killed three mothers. They're going to get justice but justice (is) just delayed."
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser will personally attend the next court hearing Tuesday afternoon. He expects to discuss an undisclosed issue with the judge and a new trial date.
More on the Singh Trial
Prosecutors: Gunshot residue on Gurpreet Singh's hand links him to murder
Initial interrogation of Singh shown during day five of witness testimony
Prosecution, jurors disappointed as quadruple murder trial of Gurpreet Singh ends in hung jury
