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Mistrial declared for Henry County man accused of murdering his fiancée in 2023

Mistrial declared as jury deadlocks in high-profile Henry County case

HENRY COUNTY, Va. – A mistrial has been declared in the case of a man charged with murdering his fiancée in Henry County in 2023, BTW21 reports.

The judge in the trial of Adam Hughes declared the mistrial after a two-day trial that began on Jan. 15, 2025, during which the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, according to Henry County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Andrew Nester.

“They came back on Friday morning and ultimately let the court know they were deadlocked and couldn’t come to a unanimous verdict,” Nester said.

As we’ve reported previously, this case stems from the disappearance of Laura Cardenas, who was reported missing in October 2023. Hughes, her then-fiancé, was identified as a suspect after authorities executed a search warrant at Cardenas’ home and found blood inside the home and Hughes’ truck. Investigators used advanced technology to track her body, which was later found in a wooded area in South Boston.

In November 2023, Hughes was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a dead body.

While a verdict hasn’t been reached, this doesn’t mean the legal process for Hughes has concluded.

“A final resolution has not been reached. Mr. Hughes was not acquitted or convicted,” Nester stated. “What that means for Mr. Hughes and the Commonwealth is that he will be retried again at the end of September.”

Hughes’ friend, Donna Digiacomo, expressed her support after the mistrial, stating she believes Hughes is innocent and should be released from jail during the interim period before his retrial.

“That means he is going to be in jail for two years before he can ever get out because no one will admit they have the wrong person,” Digiacomo said

The retrial is slated to happen in September 2025. Hughes is now facing an upgraded charge of first-degree murder.


About the Author
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Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.