Following a mistrial last year, the Ricky Saxton murder trial is scheduled to begin this month in a Warren County courtroom.
Yazoo County Circuit Clerk Robert Coleman said the murder trial is slated to begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 29, beginning with jury selection. Coleman said that he anticipates the trial to last throughout that week.
Coleman also added that a whole new jury will be selected, and the trial itself will begin again from the start, following a Warren County judge declaring the previous trial a mistrial in December of 2018.
In December of 2018, the court had heard three days of testimony before the defense for defendant Johnny Mack Brown successfully argued that it had not been provided with some of the evidence from the investigation leading to him being charged with Saxton’s murder.
Johnny Mack Brown turned himself into local authorities in June of 2015 for the murder charge of Saxton.
Saxton was murdered on Nov. 13, 2013. Investigators said Saxton drove his tow truck to a remote area near Benton after receiving a call from someone who claimed to be interested in selling a car. Saxton was found dead near his truck from a gunshot wound to the head.
Yazoo County Circuit Judge Jannie Lewis granted a change of venue for the trial after the defense team successfully argued that Brown would not receive a fair trial in Yazoo County after extensive media coverage of the case.
