Patrick ThompsonThe trial for the man allegedly responsible for setting fire to a Guthrie Center home and killing two young girls inside has been declared a mistrial.

According to court documents, a mistrial was granted in the case against 27-year-old Patrick Ryan Thompson.

The judge’s order states that during the jury selection process, as the prosecution and defense attorneys were in the judge’s chambers, a community member entered the courtroom and began talking loudly about the case. Enough of the potential jury members heard the comments, which caused the judge to declare the mistrial.

A new trial date and location has yet to be determined. Thompson is facing two class A felonies for first degree murder, two class B felonies for attempted murder, and one class C felony for first degree arson for the May 2017 incident. The fire resulted in the deaths of 12-year-old Paige Exline and 16-year-old Shakiah Cockerham.

Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.