A Prince George County man whose first murder trial ended without a conviction because of a juror’s blunder couldn’t escape a guilty verdict the second time around. A new jury found Rontel O. Taylor guilty and recommended a 43-year prison sentence. After an all-day trial in Hopewell Circuit Court, the jury deliberated about an hour before finding Taylor guilty of second-degree murder, reduced from first-degree, in the Feb. 4, 2008, fatal shooting of Alfonzo “Fonz” Patillo. The victim was shot to death in the parking lot of the Veterans of Foreign Wars club after attending a Super Bowl party there with cousin James “Soul” Patillo, 37.

A Prince George County man who dodged a murder conviction last year because of a juror’s blunder wasn’t so lucky the second time around. A new jury found Rontel O. Taylor guilty and recommended a 43-year prison sentence.

HOPEWELL—Rontel Taylor’s decision to change his hairstyle last week effectively caused a mistrial yesterday in his murder case. As jurors in his first-degree murder trial deliberated his fate during the trial’s second day, one panel member suddenly realized she knew the defendant and told her fellow jurors. She apparently didn’t recognize him earlier because he had cut off his dreadlocks around Oct. 8 and now sports a close-cut look.

A circuit judge declared a mistrial today in the murder case of Rontel Taylor, who had been on trial two days for the slaying of Alfonzo “Fonz” Patillo after a Super Bowl party in 2008.