A NSW man accused of murdering his teenage bride and burying her in a shallow grave near Wollongong almost two decades ago remains free on bail after a jury was unable to reach a verdict.
Steve Fesus has maintained his innocence since being arrested in July 2013, 16 years after reporting his wife Jodie Fesus missing on August 13, 1997.
A month later, the body of the 18-year-old was discovered following an anonymous tip off to police.
It was found partially uncovered at a camping ground at Seven Mile Beach near Wollongong.
Fesus was charged with murder and faced trial in the NSW Supreme Court.
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The crown alleged the 45-year-old was responsible both for killing his wife and for alerting police to the body, saying he needed her pronounced dead to claim social security benefits.
But Fesus has consistently denied killing his wife, and on Tuesday the 11-member jury in his murder trial was discharged, unable to determine his guilt or innocence.
The foreperson told Justice Helen Wilson that firm, opposing views had formed among jurors and they wouldn't change no matter how long deliberations continued.
Fesus sat motionless while hearing the jury's decision and will remain on bail before returning to court in February to set a date for another trial.
