Arrowood defense rests case without calling a witness

Posted on April 22, 2016

By ANGELA M. CASTELUCCI / Staff writer

In a surprising turn Thursday afternoon, the defense for murder suspect Garrett Arrowood rested its case without calling any witnesses or making any statements to rebut more than 12 hours of testimony from prosecution witnesses.

The 27-year-old is one of three suspects charged with the June 2015 murder of longtime educator Shelly Strickland (who was also Arrowood’s aunt). Rodney Whiddon and Manden Whiddon are both awaiting summer trial dates.

PHOTO: “Someone shot Mom. Get here now.” Jessica Strickland testified that those were the words her brother Michael used when contacting her June 24, 2015. Strickland took the stand during the first day of testimony and identified firearms recovered during the investigation as those stolen from her mother’s home. The serial numbers on the guns, she said, matched the serial numbers on the corresponding boxes the guns were in when they were purchased. The state recalled Strickland to the stand Thursday when she testified that one gun remained missing: a .22 handgun. “The box was in your evidence. No one asked me about it.” In earlier testimony, FDLE experts said that the victim was killed with a .22 handgun, which has not been recovered.

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