There won’t be much Christmas cheer for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes this year.
Jurors ended their third day of deliberations in the Holmes trial without reaching a verdict. They will now break for the holiday and resume their duties in San Jose, California on Monday morning.
The founder of the failed blood testing company faces 11 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly lying about the effectiveness of her company’s technology to raise money and public interest. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a $3 million fine. For now, she remains out of prison on bail.
After nearly four months of testimony, 32 witness accounts, and three full days of jury deliberation, the fate of Holmes remains uncertain. The jury of eight men and four women left earlier than expected on Thursday afternoon, announcing that instead of opting to resume deliberations in 2022, they would work through next week. On Tuesday, the group asked if they could take jury instructions home, but were denied their request.
Holmes, 37, pleaded not guilty on all changes. Her defense paints her as a naive young entrepreneur who was taken advantage of by an abusive ex-boyfriend. Former Theranos chief operating officer Ramesh Balwani, 56, who she dated for nearly a decade, manipulated her into misleading the public and committing fraud, her attorneys claim.
The prosecutors, meanwhile, claim that Holmes intentionally lied to investors and conned them out of nearly $1 billion.
While Holmes faces a stressful Christmas weekend, she’ll likely be stressing in luxury, on the grounds of a $135 million Silicon Valley estate. The rental house on the 74-acre property Holmes has been living on during her trial boasts four pools, a tennis court, a flower and vegetable garden, and a reservoir—a far cry from the accommodations of a federal prison.
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