Mistrial declared in case of man accused of killing woman in her Park Layne house in 2021

CLARK COUNTY — A judge on Tuesday declared a mistrial in the case against a Clark County man accused of killing his estranged girlfriend in her Park Layne home.

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Noel Coles Jr., 49 is facing five charges, including murder and aggravated murder, for the death of Jacqueline Coles, 43, who was found dead in her home on Weinland Street in August 2021.

“There was some new evidence that was discovered today that kind of made it hard for either myself or the state of Ohio to go forward with this jury. And based on that the court declared a mistrial. We set a trial date for the end of January. And we’re looking forward to presenting our case at that time,” Noel’s defense lawyer told News Center 7.

As News Center 7 previously reported, deputies conducted a welfare check on Jacqueline at her home on Aug. 24, 2021 after a co-worker called a non-emergency line saying they “heard someone screaming and then the phone dropped.”

>> Previous Coverage: Trial delayed for man accused of killing woman in her Park Layne house

An autopsy reported showed Jacqueline was shot six times, including four times in her torso area and in both her hands.

Noel was arrested in Indiana hours after Jacqueline was found dead. He was brought back to Clark County and charged with violating a protection order.

Court records showed Jacqueline filed a restraining order against Noel just days before her death, on Aug. 5. In a written statement, Jacqueline accused Noel of threatening to kill her “on multiple occasions” in the weeks before the shooting.

We are working to learn more and will continue updating this story.

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