Jury acquits Huerstel of murder-one

Jan. 17, 1999

- Robert Curry, Melissa Moniz and James Bloxham are shot to death at the Pizza Hut, 7920 E. Broadway.

Jan. 18, 1999

- Christopher "Bo" Huerstel, 17, and Kajornsak "Tom" Prasertphong, 20, are arrested outside a friend's home. They are later indicted on three counts each of armed robbery and first-degree murder.

May 10, 2000

- The Pizza Hut where the slayings took place is torn down.

May 16, 2000

- Pima County Superior Court Judge Michael Brown agrees to move the trial and rules two juries will hear the case at the same time. Prescott is eventually selected as the location.

Aug. 24, 2000

- Opening statements are heard at the Yavapai County Courthouse.

Sept. 15, 2000

- Huerstel is convicted on all counts after nearly 30 hours of deliberations.

Sept. 18, 2000

- Prasertphong's guilt is announced. Jurors had reached a verdict earlier, but it was sealed until after Huerstel's trial.

March 16, 2001

- Huerstel and Pras-ertphong are sentenced to death.

June 2002

- The U.S. Supreme Court rules juries, not judges, must render sentences in death-penalty cases.

Sept. 15, 2003

- The Arizona Supreme Court sets aside Huerstel's conviction, saying Brown coerced jurors into reaching a verdict. The court upholds Prasertphong's conviction, but later sets aside his sentence.

Sept. 13, 2005

- Jury selection begins for Huerstel's second trial.

Sept. 29, 2005

- Prosecutor Kellie Johnson and defense attorney James Stuehringer give closing arguments in the case and the jury begins deliberating.

Oct. 4, 2005

- The jury finds Huerstel not guilty of three counts each of first-degree murder and attempted robbery, but deadlocks on three second-degree murder charges.

Oct. 18, 2005

- Prosecutors will announce whether they plan to try Huerstel for a third time.

Feb. 28, 2006

- Prasertphong's re-sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin.

The alleged killers

Kajornsak "Tom" Prasertphong, 26

The former Catalina High Magnet School student immigrated to the United States from Thailand with his family 10 years before the slayings. He had only minor brushes with the law before his arrest on first-degree-murder and attempted-robbery charges.

Christopher "Bo" Huerstel, 24

Was a 17-year-old junior at Sahuaro High School when he was arrested in the triple slaying at the East Side Pizza Hut in January 1999. The baseball and football player was described at trial as an honest teenager who wouldn't even shoot a deer while hunting with family members.

The victims

Robert Curry, 44

The restaurant's manager was known for his "wacky" sense of humor and his generosity.

Melissa "Lisa" Moniz, 20

She was known to be wise and warmhearted. She spent most of her life in Prescott Valley, attended Bradshaw Mountain High School, loved horses and started working at 15.

James Bloxham, 17

He was known as a fun-loving young man. At the time of his death he was enrolled in an aeronautics program and planned to work on airplanes for a living.