A jury deadlocked 10-2 last Friday in the trial of a defendant accused of stabbing a counselor to death on March 14, 2012, at the Los Angeles Job Corps dormitory in Hollywood.

A memorial was created outside the Job Corps dormitory in Hollywood following the 2012 stabbing death of counselor Dwayne Alexander. (photo by Josh Premako)

The defendant, Freddy Leyva, 24, was taken into custody shortly after the stabbing at the Job Corps’ dormitory at 1200 N. Lodi Pl. The counselor, Dwayne Alexander, was stabbed nearly 30 times. Fellow job corps members reportedly held the defendant down until police arrived. Leyva has been in custody since the incident, and was charged with first-degree murder.

Deputy District Attorney Robert Britton, who prosecuted the case, said the jury deadlocked with 10 jurors in favor of a first-degree murder conviction, and two favoring a conviction for voluntary manslaughter. Britton said he plans to retry the case, and is in the process of filing the necessary paperwork. Leyva is still charged with first-degree murder, and remains in custody on $1 million bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Britton said the jury had the option of convicting Leyva on first-degree murder or manslaughter charges, or acquitting him. The prosecutor said there was little question as to whether Leyva committed the murder, and said he believes the outcome will be different during the second trial.

“Obviously, I’m hoping all twelve [jurors] say he is guilty,” Britton said. “I spoke briefly to some of the jurors afterwards, and was told that both people [who voted for manslaughter] felt bad for the defendant because it was said he had been molested as a child.”

Alexander, a former Capitol/EMI executive, had been a program advisor at the Job Corps dormitory for approximately one year before he was murdered.

The motive for the crime has not been specifically established, but Leyva reportedly claimed that Alexander had been physically abusive to him. Alexander worked 20 to 30 hours per week providing mentoring at the dormitory for approximately 100 Job Corps members. Job Corps is federal program under the U.S. Department of Labor that provides education and training for young people, with the goal of them finding a job or earning a high school diploma or GED.

A representative for the Los Angeles Job Corps refused to comment on the incident or the case, or provide her name for publication. She said, however, that the Hollywood dormitory was closed following the murder, and is no longer used by Job Corps.

Britton added that the knife believed to be the murder weapon was recovered at the scene, and there were several eyewitnesses.

“Ten people voted guilty on murder and two people voted guilty on manslaughter, so it was close,” he added.

Attempts to reach Leyva’s attorney were unsuccessful.