STARKVILLE — A Starkville man’s murder trial has ended in a mistrial, according to Assistant District Attorney Trina Brooks-Davidson.
In 2019 Dustin Nixon was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Shawn Stricklin of Ackerman.
Davidson said during testimony earlier this week it became clear that evidence had not been made available to either the prosecution or defense.
“The toxicology report,” she said. “It came out during the course of the trial that neither side had a copy of it.”
Circuit Judge James Kitchens declared a mistrial because the information was deemed material to the case, she said.
“Both sides needed time to review that report and see if any additional experts would be needed to testify at the next trial,” she said.
Mississippi Highway Patrol officers found Stricklin’s body near Longview, off Highway 12 in Oktibbeha County, on April 28, 2018. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation handled the case. Nixon, under the name James Nixon, was arrested two days later and charged with murder.
A new trial date has not been set.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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