YOUNGSTOWN — The jury in the murder trial of Kenneth L. Carter, 35, and Terry Hopkins, 23, returned not guilty verdicts today on murder and a gun specification but found Carter guilty of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

The jury came back today to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to resume its deliberations after deliberating seven hours Friday — until nearly 7 p.m. — but going home without reaching a verdict.

The jury needed only about an hour this morning before announcing that it had reached a verdict. When the two not-guilty verdicts were read, the two defendants and their attorneys showed their relief.

The trial started with jury selection last Monday and opening statements Tuesday by Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Hilles. Hilles said the Jan. 24, 2025, shooting death of Resean Graham, 42, happened in a home on Griselda Avenue on the South Side.

He said the dispute that led to the shooting was over the sale of that home. Judge Anthony Donofrio presided over the case.