COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Columbus officer Andrew Mitchell will be retried later this year for the shooting death of a 23-year-old woman in 2018, a judge ruled Thursday.
Prosecutors announced plans in April to retry Mitchell for the alleged murder of Donna Castleberry, who was fatally shot while sitting in Mitchell’s unmarked police vehicle.
Jury selection will begin on Oct. 20, according to Janet Grubb of the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.
Mitchell was indicted on murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in Castleberry's death. The night Castleberry was killed, Mitchell had picked her up during an alleged prostitution sting. He said he acted in self-defense after she stabbed him in the hand.
Prosecutors alleged it was Castleberry who was defending herself, pointing to the fact she was found shot in the back of Mitchell’s car while reportedly attempting to escape.
On April 15, a judge declared a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict following three days of deliberation.
During the trial, jurors were not told that Mitchell was under investigation at the time of the shooting and that he is facing federal charges for allegedly forcing women to have sex with him under the threat of an arrest, pressuring others to cover up crimes and lying to federal investigators.
Last year, Columbus City Council approved a settlement of more than $1 million with Castleberry's family.