Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani on Wednesday declared a mistrial after jurors were prepped to deliberate on aggravated assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint charges against Glenn Whittier, 52, of Greensburg.
According to court staffers, the mistrial ruling came after it was discovered that a juror had communicated with another about the case via Facebook.
A date had yet to be determined for retrying the case.
Testimony in Whittier’s trial began Tuesday. Prosecution and defense attorneys wrapped up concluding statements Wednesday morning, before Feliciani provided instructions to the jury for their deliberations.
Prosecutors claim Whittier assaulted and strangled Mitzy Cordova, 63, of Washington Township, in a Greensburg apartment in January 2021 as she attempted to break off their romantic relationship. Whittier additionally is charged with reckless endangerment, simple assault and terroristic threats.
Cordova said she thought she was going to die at Whittier’s hands. She testified that he became enraged, knocked her to the ground, grabbed her by the throat and repeatedly pushed her head into couch pillows.
Whittier has denied the allegations. His defense attorney, Brian Aston, suggested Cordova’s story was inaccurate and that the allegations weren’t properly investigated by law enforcement.
According to court records, Whittier pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault and was sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison after a former girlfriend reported she was attacked in Latrobe. According to court records, Whittier was paroled from prison in January 2019.
