By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — Prosecutors will be forced to re-try the case of a 45-year-old man accused of robbing a Schofield Dollar General store at gunpoint after a key witness failed to show in court.
Phillip Spiller of Schofield appeared Thursday in Marathon County Circuit Court for the second day of his two-day trial on charges of armed robbery and theft. Police say Spiller entered the Grand Avenue store just before 8 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2017, brandished a firearm and demanded cash from employees.
No one was injured.
Everest Metro police in January released surveillance photos that showed a man wearing a dark jacket entering and leaving the store during the robbery. That suspect was later identified as Spiller, who was arrested March 10. Police said Spiller’s DNA matched a sweatshirt and ski mask allegedly used during the robbery.
Circuit Judge Greg Huber waited nearly four hours for the witness to appear before granting a motion for a mistrial.
The case is one of three pending against Spiller in Marathon County Circuit Court. Spiller had been released in March after posting a $25,000 cash bond, but has been back in custody since September. He is currently being held in the Marathon County Jail.
A timeline for a new trial has not yet been set.
