TUNICA COUNTY, Miss. — A mistrial was declared Wednesday in the trial of the man accused of shooting and killing two drivers along North Mississippi roadways in 2012.
James Willie is charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Thomas Sclender and Lori Carswell. Trial in the death of Carswell began Monday in Tunica County. But, during Tuesday’s testimony, Willie had an outburst, objected to the testimony of Sheriff K.C. Hamp and jumped to his feet. That’s when a taser-like device he was wearing around his ankle shocked him, knocking him to the floor. That outburst played a part in Wednesday’s decision by the judge to declare a mistrial.
Willie is now being held in Rankin County until the Mississippi Department of Corrections decides where to house him until his new trial. Willie is also scheduled to stand trial June 2 in Panola County for the shooting death of Sclender.
