After a little more than a day of deliberating, the jury in the Sam Parker murder trial is split.

On Tuesday, day 12 of the trial, the jury forewoman told the court around 4:40 p.m. that jurors are split 4-8 on the malice murder charge.

The jury, which was asked by Judge Jon “Bo” Wood to reveal its status, was instructed by him not to reveal whether the split is for or against convicting Sam of murder.

Meanwhile the jury has reached verdicts on three other charges against him — computer invasion of privacy, giving false statements, and violation of oath of office (Sam was a police officer at the time of his arrest).

The jury forewoman said jurors are 12-0 on these charges, but again without revealing whether the jury believes Sam is guilty or not guilty.

The jury, which consists of six women and six men, began deliberating about 3:30 p.m. Monday. It was selected from Bartow County because of heavy pretrial publicity in Walker and is being bused daily to and from Bartow. The jurors are not being sequestered.

Parker was charged in February 2008 with murdering his wife Theresa. He has been in jail since then. Theresa, a dispatcher with Walker County 911, has been missing since March 21, 2007. Her body has not been found.

Sam was a sergeant with the LaFayette Police Department when she disappeared

Walker County Messenger