The judge presiding over the trial of Jeffery Martin Young in Roanoke County Circuit Court reduced and dismissed charges of murder Wednesday afternoon, a development that drastically changes the possible outcomes of the case.

After hearing all the evidence against Young in the death of attorney Thomas Farrell, Judge William Alexander ruled that prosecutors had not proved that the slaying involved malice or a premeditated plan to kill.

He reduced a first-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison, to involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum term of 10 years. He dismissed a felony murder charge, saying it didn't properly apply in Young's case.

The judge allowed a felony hit-and-run charge to stand, disagreeing with defense attorney Neil Horn's argument that the prosecution had provided no proof that Farrell was struck by Young's Jeep. The jury trial will continue on those charges today.

Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Leach declined to comment after the judge's ruling, as did Horn. Farrell's widow, Connie Farrell, also declined to comment.

A dedicated runner, Farrell was killed Jan. 28, 2008, in a hit-and-run during an early morning jog.

Meticulous testimony from more than 30 witnesses throughout the trial's first three days firmly established that Young, a 31-year-old Floyd County resident with mental illness, and the Jeep he owned were seen multiple times in South Roanoke County neighborhoods in the days before Farrell's death.

In the hours before Farrell was killed, Young and his Jeep were seen repeatedly at the Country Store at Starkey Road and Penn Forest Boulevard. In the hours after Farrell's body was found in the 5200 block of Springlawn Avenue, Young was again at the store. Witnesses said his Jeep had severe front-end damage that had not been present before.

Yet no debris from Young's white Jeep was found where Farrell was killed, and forensic scientists found no blood or DNA traces on Young's Jeep.

A Roanoke County police detective testified that after Young's abandoned Jeep was towed, it sat in an outdoor lot for several days. During that time it rained.

Leach showed the jury photographs that detailed major damage to the hood, radiator and other parts of the Jeep's engine. Then he called Jason Kerrigan, a University of Virginia scientist, to discuss the significance of the damage.

Kerrigan, a researcher for the university's Center for Applied Biomechanics, specializes in studying pedestrian accidents and the damage they cause to both vehicles and bodies.

He testified that the injuries Farrell had were consistent with what could happen to a person struck by a Jeep like Young's.

He explained how a dent in the front of the Jeep's hood could correspond with Farrell's side abrasion and broken ribs, and how a dent in the top of the hood could correspond to the fracture in the back of Farrell's skull.

He also said that Farrell did not have broken legs, one of the most typical pedestrian injuries, because the Jeep's high bumper would likely have struck him in the knee rather than the calf.

He clarified that he could not say conclusively that Young's Jeep struck Farrell.

An expert witness is scheduled to testify for the defense this morning, likely to provide a scientific opinion that counters Kerrigan's. Then the jury is expected to hear closing arguments.