Mistrial Ruled in 1971 Murder Case

A mistrial was declared in Tracy Rhame’s decade-long quest to prove that her stepfather, Jan Barry Sandlin, killed her baby brother 26 years ago and framed her for the death. Rhame, who had pushed authorities to reopen the case after she grew up being told she killed her brother, had admitted in court in Decatur, Ga., that she watched her mother testify on TV. Witnesses are not allowed to watch testimony during a trial. Superior Court Judge Hilton Fuller granted a defense request for a mistrial in the 1971 case against Sandlin, accused of killing 4-month-old Matthew Golder. Sandlin, 46, is serving a life sentence on an armed robbery conviction in Florida.