Judge rules mistrial in Strickland trial

WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) – A judge ruled for a mistrial in the trial of Allen “Frog” Strickland.

Strickland was charged with setting his own house on fire back in July of 2009 to get the insurance claim. Strickland’s attorney claimed last week that “Frog” didn’t even know he had a policy on the house.

Judge Gary Trawick made the ruling due to what he called the misconduct of a Tabor City Police Officer. The court learned this morning that Tabor City Police Detective Greg Sibbett found an interview with Strickland last night on a flash drive that neither the defense nor the district attorney’s office knew existed.

In the interview, which was conducted a day after the fire, an officer asks Strickland how his insurance claim was coming along. Strickland allegedly tells the officer that he’s not sure, but that his aunt was handling it for him.

Judge Trawick then asked the Tabor City Police Chief why this evidence didn’t come to light until now? He was told that the detective had forgotten about the interview and since the SBI had taken over the investigation, it was an oversight.