LATE Thursday, a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes found  21-year-old  murder accused Travis Rudder not guilty of both murder and manslaughter for the  shooting to death of his  girlfriend, Donnis King, 14, of Bagotstown,  East Bank Demerara in 2007. Justice Dawn Gregory had in a marathon summing-up told the jury of their right to either find the accused  guilty  or not guilty  of murder, and that the verdict must be unanimous.
She also told them that if they found the accused not  guilty of murder  then they would  have to turn their attention to manslaughter, the lesser count, which  calls  for a majority  verdict, in proportion  of  11 to 1  or 10 to  2.
The case for the prosecution, conducted by leading Prosecutor Miss Konyo Sandiford, in association with Miss Renita Singh was, to the effect, that the accused and his girlfriend had an altercation on the day in question concerning infidelity, when  the girl was shot.
But the accused, defended by Attorney-at-Law Mr.  Glenn Hanoman, pleaded not guilty and had explained that  on that day, he was playing with his .38 revolver which was in his  pocket when the weapon   accidentally went off , shooting  the girl.  He said that he was sorry, since he had no cause to injure her.
Following the verdict, the accused  walked from the  dock like a man in a hurry.