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Bombshell development in murder trial of Simone Biles' brother

Simone Biles has offered her condolences to the families of three men who were allegedly killed by her estranged brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas.. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Simone Biles has offered her condolences to the families of three men who were allegedly killed by her estranged brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas.. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

A mistrial has been called in the murder trial for Tevin Biles-Thomas, the brother of high-profile American gymnast Simone Biles.

Biles-Thomas is facing murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault and perjury charges stemming from a 2018 New Year's Eve party in Ohio.

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The 24-year-old, a member of the U.S. Army, is believed to have become involved in an argument after several uninvited guests arrived at a rented AirBnb, leading to the deaths of Devaughn Gibson, 23, DelVaunte Johnson, 19, and Toshon Banks, 21, from gunshot wounds.

The Ohio judge presiding over the case declared a mistrial after all of the 12-member jury said they had inadvertently read legal documents which legal briefs between Biles-Thomas' lawyers and the prosecution discussing whether or not he had acted in self-defence.

The 12 jurors said reading the material had influenced their deliberations, thus the need for a second trial.

It is not clear how the papers ended up among the case material the jury was allowed to refer back to during their deliberations.

Biles reportedly did not grow up with her brother, as she and three other siblings were placed into foster care when she was three years old. Biles and her younger sister grew up with their maternal grandfather and his wife in Houston, and Biles-Thomas and their other sibling moved to Cleveland with a different relative.

“My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families,” Biles said on Twitter days after her brother’s arrest.

“There is nothing I can say that will heal anyone’s pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.

“I ask everyone to please respect my family’s privacy as we deal with our pain. XO.”

Biles, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, is currently preparing for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics later this summer.

She landed a Yurchenko double pike on the vault on Saturday in her first competition in 18 months, a move that no woman has done before.

'Legendary' hidden detail spotted on Simone Biles' outfit

Competing at the US Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana, Biles successfully attempted the notorious Yurchenko double pike in competition, leaving the gymnastics world in awe.

The Yurchenko double pike, featuring a round-off onto the springboard and back handspring into a piked double backflip, had never been done before in women's competition.

The fact that Biles even attempted it - let alone landed it - merely cemented her status as the greatest of all time (or GOAT) in women's gymnastics.

That reputation is clearly something Biles has no problems promoting herself, as evidenced by the outfit she wore at the meet.

Simone Biles poses after being announced as the overall winner of the 2021 GK U.S. Classic gymnastics competition at the Indiana Convention Center on May 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Biles scored a total of 58.400 points. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Simone Biles poses after being announced as the overall winner of the 2021 GK U.S. Classic gymnastics competition at the Indiana Convention Center on May 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Biles scored a total of 58.400 points. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Admittedly, not much of the focus was on the leotard the four-time Olympic gold medallist was wearing as she sealed an incredible piece of gymnastics history.

However, eagle-eyed viewers noticed a brilliant detail on the back of the outfit - a rhinestone goat's head - that shows what Biles thinks about her status in the sport.

Biles explained her thought process behind the incredible vault after sailing through it with so much power that she over-rotated slightly and stepped back on the landing.

"I was just thinking, do it like training," she said of her mindset as she took off down the runway.

"Don't try to overdo anything, because I have a tendency as soon as I raise my hand to kind of overpower things.

"I did a little bit, but at least I still was on my feet and it's a new vault."

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