Former Guns & Ammo Magazine Editor's Murder Trial Ends With Hung Jury

A jury couldn't decide whether the former editor of Guns & Ammo magazine is guilty of murdering one of his friends.Richard Venola, 54, was arrested by Mohave County Sheriff's deputies in May, after the former Guns & Ammo editor allegedly used a gun and ammo to shoot 39-year-old James Patrick...

By Matthew Hendley

January 3, 2013

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A jury couldn't decide whether the former editor of Guns & Ammo magazine is guilty of murdering one of his friends.

Richard Venola, 54, was arrested by Mohave County Sheriff's deputies in May, after the former Guns & Ammo editor allegedly used a gun and ammo to shoot 39-year-old James Patrick O'Neill outside Venola's home in Golden Valley.

See also:
-Richard Venola, Ex-Editor of Guns & Ammo Magazine, Arrested in Mohave Murder

According to the local paper of record, Mohave Valley Daily News, the new trial was scheduled for February, after the judge determined the jury couldn't come to a conclusion on the second-degree murder charge.

The Daily News also reports that a deputy county attorney revealed during the trial that Venola was "extremely drunk" -- with a blood-alcohol level of .23 -- while Venola's lawyers called it self-defense, naturally.

At the time of O'Neill's death, a Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said he was shot with a "large caliber rifle" that deputies confiscated from Venola's home.

According to the Guns & Ammo website, Venola, a retired Marine, took over as the associate editor of RifleShooter magazine -- owned by the same company as Guns & Ammo -- in 2004, and was named editor of Guns & Ammo less than three years later.

Guns were described as Venola's "first love" in his biography, although the biography was changed shortly after Venola's arrest.

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