By Scott Harvey
Paris – A judge in Paris orders murder charges be dropped against two white men, accused of killing a black man.
Shannon Finley and Ryan Crostley were dismissed Thursday afternoon by the Lamar County District Clerk's office at the request of a special prosecutor.
The two men were accused of running over and dragging to death 24-year-old Brandon McClelland on Sept. 16, 2008. Local civil rights activists had denounced the case as a racially-inspired hate crime.
The case was hampered by a lack of eyewitnesses and physical evidence. Last month, a gravel truck driver acknowledged he might have accidentally run over McClelland, although he is unlikely to face any charges.