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Mistrial declared in murder case of woman accused leaving boyfriend on I-95

Posted at 7:42 PM, Nov 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-15 19:42:55-05

PETERSBURG, Va. – A Petersburg judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the case of a woman charged with murder in the death of her boyfriend after a crash on Interstate 95 in June of 2016.

Chiquita Pettaway is accused of failing to disclose she had a passenger with her after crashing on I-95 and leading an officer on a brief chase. Police said Pettaway was asked several times if anyone else was in the SUV. They said she responded “no” each time.

Family members reported Pettaway’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Michael Jones, missing the next evening. Police again asked Pettaway if she had been alone and she said “yes.”

Police re-canvassed the area near the accident site and found Jones’ body in bushes about 30 to 40 yards away.

Chiquita Pettaway

Along with a second-degree murder charge, Pettaway also faced DWI, eluding police, involuntary manslaughter, driving with a suspended license and the battery of an emergency or healthcare person.

On Wednesday, jurors found Pettaway guilty of DWI and sentenced to one year in prison. She was also found guilty of driving with a suspended license and received a six-month suspended sentence.

The mistrial was declared when jurors could not reach a verdict on felony elude, involuntary manslaughter and murder charges.

The city will retry the cases, according to Petersburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Cheryl Wilson.

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