The second trial of Irina Malinovskaya, a former University of Pennsylvania student suspected in the murder of Irina Zlotnikov, a Temple pharmacy student, ended in a second mistrial Oct. 12.
On Dec. 22, 2004, Zlotnikov’s body was found in Wilmington, Del. in the apartment of her boyfriend, Robert Bondar, a former law student at Widener University. A few days later, Malinovskaya was arrested for the murder.
Bondar was Malinovskaya’s ex-boyfriend and the district attorney trying the case alleges that Malinovskaya murdered Zlotnikov out of jealousy. The first trial was held in February 2006.
A mistrial in that case was declared because the jury was locked in an 11 to 1 decision. In this trial, the jury was split 6 to 6. They deliberated for 28 hours over four days before they came to the conclusion that they were hopelessly deadlocked.
After the mistrial was declared, the prosecution announced plans to take the case to trial for a third time, unless the status quo changes. – Carolyn Steeves
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