Retrial of husband in Durham woman's 2005 death pushed back

The retrial of a man accused of killing his wife almost nine years ago will be delayed by a month, authorities said Monday.

Raven Abaroa is charged with first-degree murder in the April 26, 2005, stabbing death of 25-year-old Janet Abaroa.

A jury deadlocked 11-1 in May in favor of convicting Abaroa, forcing a mistrial in the case.

Durham County prosecutors then offered Abaroa the option of pleading guilty to second-degree murder and a sentence of 19 to 24 years in prison, but he rejected the deal. A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The retrial was set to begin Jan. 13, but it has been pushed back to Feb. 17.

Abaroa, 33, has maintained his innocence, saying he was playing in a soccer game and returned home to find his wife, who was pregnant with the couple's second child, stabbed. Their 6-month-old son was home at the time but was unharmed.

He was arrested nearly five years later in Idaho, where he lived with his son.