By Molly Moorhead, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 24, 2011
DADE CITY — Derral Wayne Hodgkins' first-degree murder trial ended Monday in a mistrial after a state witness mentioned his previous time in prison.
"Mr. Hodgkins has the right to be tried only on the evidence of his guilt and not on his prior record," Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa said in granting a motion for a mistrial.
Attorneys quickly set a new trial date: April 4.
Hodgkins, 51, is accused of killing Teresa Lodge, a 46-year-old cook who lived in Land O'Lakes, in 2006. Authorities say he was at her apartment the night of Sept. 28, 2006, when they began fighting. Hodgkins beat and choked Lodge, who was 5 feet 1, 100 pounds, then stabbed her multiple times in the neck and chest, authorities said. She died on the floor of her bedroom, discovered a day later by a friend ...