Prosecutors in Cleveland are pressing murder charges against Ja Merez Bowen for a second time, and this time they've added a new codefendant, after a trial last month collapsed when a juror allegedly reached out to a witness on social media during a weekend recess. The case centers on the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Eddy Bonner, and it's now taking a dramatic turn with the arrest of a man prosecutors say pulled the trigger alongside Bowen.
A Mistrial Triggered By A Juror's Messages
Bowen, 30, of Cleveland, was on trial in September 2026 for the murder of Bonner when the proceedings fell apart, according to cleveland.com. A witness in the case revealed that one of the jurors had contacted them on social media with information about the status of jury deliberations, according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Lexi Bauer. Prosecutors reported the allegation to Cuyahoga County Judge John J. Spellacy, who then declared a mistrial.
The fallout from that contact isn't over. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3 to determine whether the juror should be held in criminal contempt of court, per the same report. The outlet's account does not identify the juror, the witness involved, or the specific platform or messages exchanged.
A New Name Enters The Case
Rather than simply retry Bowen alone, prosecutors chose to seek a reindictment charging both Bowen and a new codefendant, Trevell Jordan, with Bonner's killing, Bauer said. Jordan wasn't arrested until Oct. 4, weeks after the mistrial was declared, and prosecutors had planned to charge him in the case. Bowen is scheduled for arraignment on Friday, and he has previously denied the charges against him.
This isn't the first time prosecutors have sought accountability for Bonner's death. Prosecutors initially charged a different man, Christopher Howze, with the murder, but a jury acquitted Howze of murder in Bonner's death. The report does not explain why Howze was acquitted or how that outcome factors into the case against Bowen and Jordan.
What Happened To Eddy Bonner
Investigators say Bonner, of Cleveland, was shot on April 19, 2025, in the city's Kinsman neighborhood, in the 2900 block of Minnie Avenue. He was taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office attributed his death to a gunshot wound to the head.
The Legal Path Back To Trial
Ohio law generally allows a case to be tried again after a jury is discharged mid-trial, with the retrial happening immediately or at a later date set by the court, according to the Ohio Revised Code. Separately, the Eighth District Court of Appeals has held that double jeopardy does not bar a retrial when there was manifest necessity for the mistrial or when the ends of public justice would otherwise be defeated, per a 2024 Eighth District Court of Appeals decision. Ohio statute also addresses when a prior conviction, acquittal or instance of jeopardy can bar a new indictment for the same or a necessarily included offense, according to a separate section of the Ohio Revised Code. None of these general authorities resolve how they will ultimately apply to Bowen's specific case.
Jurors overstepping their bounds isn't unique to Cuyahoga County. In a 2021 federal case in New Jersey, a juror conducted his own internet research during a criminal trial and shared what he found with fellow jurors during deliberations, causing a mistrial; he was later fined $11,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. An Ohio appellate matter described a similar breakdown, in which a juror brought a newspaper article about the defendant's case into the jury room and discussed it with other jurors despite repeated court warnings, according to the Ninth District Court of Appeals.
For now, the Cuyahoga County case moves forward on two tracks: Bowen's arraignment Friday alongside newly charged codefendant Jordan, and the separate Nov. 3 hearing weighing whether the juror who allegedly messaged a witness should face contempt charges of their own.
