AUBURN – An Androscoggin County judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the manslaughter trial of a Lisbon Falls woman accused of shaking her toddler so violently that he died hours later at a hospital.

Superior Court Justice Ellen Gorman declared the mistrial in the case of Sarah Allen during the morning session after jurors failed to reach a verdict through 18 hours of deliberations that began late Monday.

Jurors said they had become hopelessly deadlocked while trying to sort through nearly two weeks of testimony that included conflicting opinions from medical experts.

Jury members individually acknowledged that they were unable to reach agreement as the court reporter polled each of them in turn. At least two jurors wiped away tears as they responded.

Prosecutors contended that Allen, 30, shook her 21-month-old adopted son, Nathaniel, causing him to die from a brain injury.

The defense argued there was a rush to judgment by police and investigators who overlooked other evidence suggesting a medical condition could have contributed to the boy’s death.

The prosecution has three options: retry Allen, attempt to reach a plea agreement or dismiss the case.