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Hamilton County man who was indicted decade after fatal shooting has case dismissed

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Judge Amanda Dunn swears in a jury Sept. 17 at the courts building in Chattanooga.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Judge Amanda Dunn swears in a jury Sept. 17 at the courts building in Chattanooga. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Judge Amanda Dunn swears in a jury Sept. 17 at the courts building in Chattanooga.

A Hamilton County man who was indicted on a first-degree murder charge a decade after a Chattanooga shooting had the charges against him dismissed, a judgment document shows.

Cordalro Strickland, 37, was indicted by a grand jury May 25, 2021, in connection with the 2011 death of Anthony White.

But the case against Strickland was dismissed Thursday just days before he was scheduled to head to trial in front of Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn, the judgment states.

White’s death, which had been previously classified as a cold case, happened May 12, 2011.

Chattanooga police found White dead in an alley behind Robbins Street after he sustained dozens of gunshot wounds.

White had 42 bullet entry and exit wounds, according to a Hamilton County medical examiner’s report. Police made no arrests at the time of the shooting.

(READ MORE: How Chattanoogans can help Helene victims)

Strickland was released from prison April 20, according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections website.

He was sentenced to 15 years for the second-degree murder of Melvin Fennell and two other attempted murders that happened around the time of White’s death.

There were no additional publicly available details about the dismissed case against Strickland.

Hamilton County prosecutor Charlie Minor, who oversaw the state’s case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anyone who believes they have information about an unsolved homicide can call the district attorney’s cold case hotline at 423-209-7470. Tips can be sent to coldcases@hcdatn.org, and tipsters are able to remain anonymous.

Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.

  photo  Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office / Cordalro Strickland, 37
 
 


  photo  Tennessee Department of Corrections / Cordalro Strickland, 37, in 2022