Carlos Vega’s story is written across his face. Two teardrop tattoos run down his cheek, one for each family member he watched die as a child. A jagged scar cuts across his jaw — the lasting mark of an attack by another inmate.

Mr. Vega was arrested in the Bronx on Sept. 30, 2007, accused of killing a man in a bodega. Now 33, he has been in jail for nearly nine years. Three trials have failed to yield a verdict. The first trial, more than four years after the murder, ended in a mistrial after the wife of a key witness became ill. The second ended in a hung jury, and the third also ended in a mistrial after a confrontation with a guard left Mr. Vega hospitalized.

In all, Mr. Vega’s case has come before the court 126 times as it has been shuffled among three defense lawyers, five prosecutors and 12 judges. Another hearing is scheduled for Monday.

The constant delays and inconclusive trials have earned Mr. Vega a dubious distinction: He has been incarcerated with an unresolved case longer than anyone else in New York City.