PHOENIX — The judge has declared a mistrial in the sentencing phase of Ian Mitcham's murder trial after the jury sent a note saying they were at an impasse.
Mitcham remains in custody, and this ruling does not affect Mitcham's conviction in the murder of Allison Feldman.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will now decide to either retry the penalty phase or agree to a life sentence in prison.
The mistrial was only for the sentencing phase of the murder charge.
Mitcham was sentenced Thursday to seven years for sexual assault and three-and-a-half years for burglary. Those sentences will run consecutively, but he will get credit for his time served, which is over six years.
ABC15's Ashley Holden spoke with attorney Ben Taylor after Wednesday's mistrial declaration. Hear their conversation in the player below.
How police identified Ian Mitcham
Feldman was found dead inside her Scottsdale home back in 2015.
Originally, the case went cold for years, but Allison's dad, Harley, pushed for familial DNA to be used here in Arizona.
His daughter's murder case marked the first time this investigative tool was used, ultimately pointing police to Mitcham.
The case took over a decade to reach trial due to a legal battle over how the key piece of DNA evidence was obtained.
Ultimately, the Arizona Supreme Court decided the DNA could be used at trial.
In November 2025, Harley and other loved ones were there as the trial began.
Allison Feldman
"I promised Allison, when she was murdered 11 years ago, not to rest until we got to court," said Harley outside court.
Just weeks after hearing the guilty verdict, Harley suddenly passed away.
"Oh, it's the silver lining in all of this," said Harley's other daughter, Kelly Weinblatt. "I'm so glad that he heard that and saw the justice."
After the verdict, the jurors also found two aggravating factors.
"Life is not a lenient sentence; it is a severe punishment and appropriate punishment for a 50-year-old man," said Mitcham's defense attorney, Jefferey Kirchler. "It's not necessary to kill Ian."
Prosecutors described the murder as "cruel" and revisited scene photos in their closing arguments and sought the death penalty.
"I submit to you ladies and gentlemen that the evidence [overwhelmingly] supports that the only just punishment based on who Ian Mitcham is and what Ian Mitcham did is the death penalty," said prosecutor Erin Otis.
Mitcham was also found guilty of burglary and sexual assault.
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