Jury deadlocked on third accused murderer in LB shooting

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Jurors declared themselves deadlocked yesterday on charges against a third defendant being tried in connection with the 2019 fatal shooting of a Compton man during a fight in Long Beach.

Rodney Willis, 37, a Long Beach resident, was facing one count each of murder and assault in the shooting death of 24-year-old Maurice Ross. Ross was shot about 10:45 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2019, in the 200 block of East Anaheim Street. He died at the scene, police said.

Approximate location of the shooting:

An uninvolved woman bystander was also wounded by the gunfire and treated at a hospital for a non-life-threatening injury, police said.

The panel told the judge Monday afternoon they were hopelessly deadlocked as to Willis’ guilt or innocence.

On Friday, the same jury panel found co-defendants Phillip Bullard, 39, of Inglewood, and Isaiah James Tucker, 38, of San Bernardino, guilty of murder in Ross’ death. They also convicted the two of being ex-felons in possession of firearms, according to a court clerk.

Sentencing for Bullard and Tucker is set for June 23. All three men have been held without bail since their arrests in 2019.

Sharell Johnson, a 33-year-old Long Beach woman, pleaded no contest in 2019 to being an accessory after the fact, according to court records.

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