A 12-member jury at the murder trail of John Heath, 70, of Bridgewater deliberated through the day on Friday, October 11, without reaching a verdict.

The state alleges that Mr Heath beat his wife Elizabeth, 32, to death in April 1984 and then hid her remains in a dry well located beneath the floor of a barn at the Heath property at 89 Poverty Hollow Road in Newtown.

The eight-man, four-woman jury is slated to resume deliberations on Wednesday, October 16, in Danbury Superior Court. The eight-day testimony phase of the trail started on September 26. Deliberations started on October 10.

To refresh their memories, the jury had audio recordings of the testimony of three witnesses played back for them in Courtroom 6. The jurors did not take notes during the trial.

The jury re-heard the testimony of witnesses Barbara DeLong, Richard Baranik, and Louann Chevalier.

During the trial, the state called more than 30 witnesses to testify, and the defense called only one witness  -- Meghann Hawes Heath. Meghann Heath is the daughter of John and Elizabeth Heath.

Meghann was four years old when Mr Heath reported to Newtown police in April 1984, that his wife had run away from home in the night.

In April 2010, while renovating the barn, the current owners of the property discovered the skeletal remains of Ms Heath. Newtown police arrested Mr Heath on a murder charge in April 2012. He is being held on $1 million bail on the charge.

The murder charge is based on circumstantial evidence. In order for Mr Heath to be convicted, all 12 jurors must concur on a verdict of “guilty.”