Jury issues lead to mistrial in Portsmouth double murder case

PORTSMOUTH — A mistrial was declared in a Portsmouth double murder case this week after one juror had to be dismissed and another had an emergency, according to a court official.

Duquan Shaquille Johnson, 30, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and other related charges in the September 2021 shooting deaths of Aaron Harris and Tony Palmer. His trial began Wednesday and was expected to last two days.

Twelve jurors and one alternate were chosen to hear the case, but the alternate had to be released after it was discovered she knew one of the attorneys involved, Portsmouth Clerk of the Circuit Court Cynthia Morrison said.

After opening statements were presented, and the jury was dismissed for lunch, a juror reported an emergency situation and couldn't return, Morrison said. The clerk didn't reveal what the emergency was.

With only eleven jurors remaining, Circuit Judge Brenda Spry declared a mistrial. A new trial date was set for Jan. 15.

According to court records, police were called to the intersection of Randolph Street and Lansing Avenue for a report of a two-vehicle accident, involving a silver Infiniti sedan and a unoccupied pickup truck. When they arrived, they found Palmer, 55, on the ground next to the car, and Harris, 38, in the driver's seat. Both men had been shot in the head. A black Taurus handgun was found on the front seat.

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby home showed the Infiniti was speeding when it crashed into the parked pickup, forcing the truck into the intersection, according to the records. A man is then seen getting out of the back seat, opening the driver's side door, and rummaging around before leaving on foot.

Investigators determined both victims had been shot from inside the car. Fingerprints found in the car were determined to have come from Johnson, the records state. Johnson was arrested four months later, and has remained jailed without bond since then.