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AUBURN – The jurors in charge of deciding if Sarah Allen killed her 21-month-old son will return to Androscoggin County Superior Court on Wednesday morning to continue their deliberations.

After discussing the case for an hour and a half Monday and another seven and a half hours Tuesday, the panel of six men and six women were unable to reach a verdict.

Justice Ellen Gorman sent them home at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Allen, 30, has been charged with manslaughter in the death of her adopted son, Nathaniel. The state alleges that she caused the boy’s death by shaking him with so much force on Feb. 14, 2003, that she made his brain bleed and swell.

Allen claims she never shook the boy.

Her attorney, Verne Paradie, attempted to convince the jury during the two-week trial that the boy could have died as the result of a pre-existing medical condition, a series of household falls or a combination of both.

As part of their deliberations, the jurors can ask to view certain pieces of evidence or listen to parts of the testimony.

So far, they have asked to hear the audiotape of Allen’s interview with investigators at the hospital, a video taken at Allen’s home during which she re-enacted her version of what happened and CAT scans taken of the boy’s brain.

They also have asked to see transcripts of the testimony from two expert witnesses, a radiologist called by the state and a neuropathologist called by the defense.

The state’s witness, Dr. Charles Grimes, described Nathaniel Allen’s injuries as traumatic and testified that it would have required a massive amount of force to cause them.

The defense’s witness, Dr. Suzanne de la Monte, testified that she found no concrete evidence of trauma in the boy’s medical records and she speculated that he may have died as the result of a seizure caused by a pre-existing medical problem.

Sarah and Jeremy Allen lived in Lisbon Falls at the time of their son’s death. They adopted Nathaniel from Guatemala when he was 1 year old.

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