Judge Orders Jurors to Try Again

A jury said it was deadlocked in the case of a Camden County man accused of a deadly arson, but the judge has ordered jurors to continue deliberations. Investigators say David Amodio, 40, set the fire that killed his ex-girlfriend and her young son three years ago.

The trial has been under way for two weeks and the jury has been deliberating for three days, with a break for Easter.

Amodio suffered severe burns in the fire and has been in jail for more than three years.

The two-story home on Diana Drive in Gloucester Township, N.J., exploded into a fireball in October 2000. Amodio was found suffering from burns on the front lawn. His girlfriend, 27-year-old Lisa Pimental, and her 2-year-old son, Kollin, were found inside the home. Investigators said a hammer was found under Pimental's body. Authorities determined that she had been beaten to death.

The jury heard the evidence and told the judge they were deadlocked on five of the seven charges against him. The judge told the jury to try again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is your duty as jurors to consult with one another and to deliberate with a view to reaching an agreement if you can do so without violence," said Judge Thomas Brown Jr.

Authorities had determined that an accelerant had been used in the arson. Amodio denied any involvement.

The prosecutor said he would seek the death penalty if Amodio were convicted.

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