Jury picking began for a third time this week. It is in the murder case of Darnell Jones, 21, of Austintown, Ohio. Two earlier trials this year both fell apart. Each time, something was said in court that jurors were not supposed to hear.

Jones is charged with aggravated murder. That is the most serious murder charge in Ohio. It can mean life in prison. The charge is tied to the September 2023 death of Ty'Lend Lewis, 21. Prosecutors say Jones broke into a garage at Lewis's home on Summer Street in Youngstown. Prosecutors say he opened fire there. Lewis was shot 19 times. He died before help could reach him. Officers later found an assault rifle in trees near the scene.

The case has dragged on for almost three years. Jones was arrested in late September 2023. That was just days after the shooting. A grand jury filed charges a year later, in September 2024. He gave up his right to a fast trial that October. Lewis's family has now sat through two failed trials. Neither one led to a verdict.

The first trial started February 17, 2026. It happened in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. It fell apart two days later. A witness was answering a question from prosecutor Anissa Modarelli. The witness said something jurors were not allowed to hear. Modarelli tried to stop the witness. Defense lawyer Joe Ohlin asked to talk to the judge in private. Judge John Durkin then called a mistrial. A mistrial means the trial stops before it ends. It does not decide guilt. It does not decide innocence. The whole case starts over with a new jury.

Roosevelt Lewis is the victim's father. He talked to reporters after that first mistrial. "The prosecutors did a good job of covering evidence," he said. "I just wish it would have led to a conviction. But I'm still going to be here. We're going to get justice."

The second trial started April 20, 2026. It also ended in a mistrial two days later. That was on April 22. Court staff said a bad remark was made in the courtroom again. The exact words were never made public. The judge picked a new trial date of June 8. That trial did not happen as planned either.

Jury picking for the third trial began the week of August 17, 2026. A jury may finally hear evidence from start to finish this time. That includes how cops found the body. It also includes the rifle cops believe was used in the killing.

Two mistrials in a row over courtroom remarks are rare. Each one forces the court to start over. It forces the lawyers to start over too. A brand new jury pool has to be found. For Lewis's family, it means sitting through hard testimony again and again. For Mahoning County, it means more cost. It means more delay in a case that is already almost three years old.

Jones faces more trouble beyond this case. He is also charged with murder in a different shooting. That one happened June 30, 2023, on East Avondale Avenue in Youngstown. One woman was killed. A teenager was hurt too. No trial date has been set for that case yet.

There is no word yet on how long the third trial will take. Court officials have not said if new steps will stop another bad remark this time. For now, a new jury pool in Mahoning County is again being asked one question. What happened on Summer Street the night Ty'Lend Lewis died?