In a trial that has sparked attention on both sides of the Atlantic, jurors have been asked to decide whether a 19-year-old British au pair killed an 8-month-old boy in her care.

A jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about five hours Tuesday without reaching a verdict in the trial of Louise Woodward, who is charged with first-degree murder in the February death of Matthew Eappen.Deliberations were scheduled to resume Wednesday.

Granting a request from Woodward herself, a judge told jurors to consider only a first- or second-degree murder charge and not manslaughter. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence, while second-degree means a life sentence with the chance of parole in 15 years.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Woodward's lawyers argued that prosecutors failed to prove that she shook the baby and slammed his head against a hard surface.

Prosecutors say she killed the baby out of frustration with the child's fussing and the demands of her job, which stymied her social life.

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Prosecutor Gerard Leone Jr. called the defense a "high-priced theatric production" and said Woodward was a "little aspiring actress" who told half-truths.

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