Alternate juror in Burton trial says she would have favored murder conviction

An alternate juror from Michael Burton's murder trial said in an interview today that if she had been one of the 12 jurors handed the case, she would have pushed in deliberations for a first- or second-degree murder conviction.

Regina Nevarez of Ontario said she wasn't certain she would want to convict Burton of first-degree murder because she wasn't convinced by testimony in the four-week trial that Burton's attack on his wife was premeditated.

"We'll never know what happened," said Nevarez, a 33-year-old unemployed finance worker. "He is the only one who knows, and he's not going to tell the truth."

A mistrial was declared Thursday in the murder trial of Burton, a Pasadena firefighter, after a jury deadlocked, with six favoring a second-degree murder conviction and six favoring voluntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors charged Burton, 48, with murder for stabbing his wife, Otilia Burton, at least 10 times with a samurai sword at the couple's home in Rancho Cucamonga. Michael Burton claimed he acted in self-defense.

Burton will now face a second trial for the killing if his case isn't resolved through a plea bargain prior to trial.