Hung jury in Rehoboth rape case

A Sussex County jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case of a Dover man charged with attempted rape and kidnapping in Rehoboth Beach.

After two hours of deliberations Feb. 19, a hung jury came back in the case of Joshua Abele, 21, who had been charged with first-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping. Prosecutors said Abele forced himself on a 21-year old woman at a house on Oak Avenue. The woman told police Abele confronted her with a gun, later determined by police to be a BB gun, and prevented her from leaving the house.

Abele, who took the stand in his own defense during the five-day trial, said their encounter was consensual.

Abele’s attorney, Edward Gill said, “We hope this is the end of this case and hope the state doesn’t drag this up again. We hope this is the end.”

Carl Kanefsky, spokesman for the Delaware Department of Justice, said the state has not made a decision on whether to retry the case. FILE PHOTO