Jury deliberations to resume Thursday in Rittenhouse Square stabbing trial

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A jury will continue deliberations on Thursday in the Rittenhouse Square stabbing trial.

The fate of 22-year-old Michael White hangs in the balance.

He is accused of stabbing and killing 37-year-old Sean Schellenger in July of 2018.

During closing arguments, the defense maintained that White was trying to calm Schellenger who was involved in a tense traffic dispute in Rittenhouse Square, and pulled the knife to frighten Schellenger before using that knife in self-defense.

The prosecution says White unnecessarily involved himself in a dispute that had nothing to do with him and then purposely killed a man he didn't know.

The medical examiner confirmed Schellenger had cocaine in his system at the time and a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit.

Action News got a chance to speak with Sean Schellenger's mother last week. She's upset the district attorney's office dropped third-degree murder charges and proceeded with voluntary manslaughter.

"This is still the United States of America and we have a legal system and a process which calls for a jury trial and allows them to make the decision. I would live with whatever that decision was...now it is just a circus," Linda Schellenger.