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A jury took less than an hour to convict a former amusement park manager of reckless homicide for a woman’s fatal fall from a ride called The Hawk, in March 2004 in Tennessee, but after four days of testimony, the panel of 12 opted not to convict Charles Stanley Martin of second-degree murder for the death of June Alexander.
June Alexander fell 60 feet to her death from the ride after her harness came loose in midair as her family watched. Martin faced up to 25 years for the murder charge, but sentencing on the lesser charge will be determined by Judge Richard Vance on July 26 – which could be up to four years or as little as probation.
The jury also levied a maximum $5,000 fine against Martin. Prosecutors had argued the safety system on The Hawk had been tampered with, which caused the ride to take off despite Alexander’s safety harness not yet being secured. Martin remains free on bond until his sentencing.