SAN DIEGO -- A eight-woman, four-man jury considering murder charges against a man in the 1998 slaying of an Escondido girl were ordered to continue their deliberations.

TUITE MURDER TRIAL Discuss: Share Your Thoughts About Stephanie's Murder Video: Exclusive Video Of Tuite's Capture Images: Exclusive Images Of Tuite's Capture Images: Exclusive Photos Of Tuite Interrogation Images: Verdicts Reached In Tuite Trial Discuss: Share Your Thoughts About Tuite's Courthouse Escape

The foreman representing the 12-member panel Wednesday informed Superior Court Judge Frederic Link that they were hopelessly deadlocked in the trial of Richard Tuite.

Video

Judge Orders Jury Back To Deliberations

But when Link began to poll jurors individually, the sixth juror who was questioned said he felt further deliberations might break the deadlock. With that response, Link sent the panel back into the deliberation room.

Gretchen von Helms, a legal analyst, told 10News that hung juries are not uncommon.

"This came back just as a lot of us thought it would. This was a hung jury -- they came back today and the judge was going to send them home. It was going to be over with today, if juror No. 6 had not said, 'Well, maybe more deliberation would help.' The judge said, 'Get back in there.' And, back in they went," von Helms said.

Tuite is accused of killing Stephanie Crowe, a 12-year-old girl who was found stabbed to death in her bedroom.

Following a three-and-a-half-month trial, the jury is in its fourth day of deliberations.

The jury foreman said a ballot taken earlier Wednesday showed jurors were split eight-to-four, but he did not say anything further about the vote.

The foreman initially told Link the jurors were unable to reach unanimous agreement about blood evidence found on Tuite's clothing.

Prosecutors say blood from the girl that was found on Tuite's sweatshirt indicates he is guilty. But defense lawyers say the sweatshirt was contaminated by police during their investigation.