Pictured: James Exline Jr.
The Greene County trial against James Exline Jr., the man accused of sexually abusing his 12-year-old daughter and 16-year-old niece, has been declared a mistrial before a jury was even chosen. Only one day after jury selection began, a District Judge, Kurt Stoebe, issued his decision after he became aware individuals in the jury pool had been searching for facts regarding the case before being picked. Stoebe indicated the case will need to move to a new district where the case has had less media attention. Exline faces two counts of second degree sexual abuse, class B felonies. If found guilty, Exline faces up to 50 years in prison for the crimes. The victims in the case, Paige Exline and her cousin, Shakiah Cockerham, were killed in a Guthrie Center house fire on May 15. The fire is believed by authorities to have been purposefully started by Exline’s stepson, Patrick Thompson.
