Moments after a Suffolk Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the case of two men accused of gunning down 28-year-old Cedirick Steele, Suffolk prosecutors said they intended to bring both defendants to trial at the earliest opportunity.

Parties in the case against ANTWAN CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, will return to court on Oct. 20 to set a new trial date.

Judge Linda Giles today declared a mistrial in the case after jurors sent her multiple notes indicating that they were hopelessly deadlocked in their deliberations. Jurors began their deliberations on Sept. 14 after almost two full weeks of trial testimony; one juror was replaced on Sept. 17 for reasons unrelated to the case and the new panel began its deliberations anew that morning. In its entirety, the deliberative period lasted about seven days.

Both defendants were charged with first-degree murder for Steele’s March 14, 2007, shooting death and unlawful possession of a firearm for allegedly possessing the weapon that killed him. Carter was additionally charged with witness intimidation for allegedly seeking to have a critical witness killed; Giles ruled that the evidence introduced at trial did not support that charge.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Treseler tried the case. Kara Hayes was the assigned victim-witness advocate. Carter and Pinckney were represented by attorneys Barry Wilson and James Greenberg, respectively.