Hearings in RSW Regional Jail inmate overdose death cases continued to mid-August

On Monday morning, July 11, preliminary hearings, including anticipated setting of trial dates, were continued to August 16 on the 9 a.m. docket in the cases of Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren County Regional Jail inmates Brian T. Martin and Daniel E. Shifflett. Martin and Shifflett have been indicted on Second Degree Murder charges related to what is believed to have been the accidental drug overdose death of fellow inmate Jonte Smith on December 12, 2021. Shifflett also ODed in the jail the evening of December 11 into the early morning hours of December 12, but survived.

As previously reported by Royal Examiner, Martin was arrested in the Town of Front Royal on December 3rd after law enforcement chased him down on foot and recovered a bag of what was described as “Scramble” a Fentanyl-based mixture of drugs, that Martin dropped or threw down during the pursuit. Material attached to a search warrant on file related to the case indicates Martin is believed to have snuck opioid drugs into the jail during his December 3rd processing into RSW. He then began distributing those drugs for profit through deposits made into a cash app in his name for service expenses inmates are charged for while incarcerated. Those deposits were apparently made by non-incarcerated associates of inmates seeking the drugs.

A hearing and setting of a trial date in the Second Degree Murder case against Daniel E. Shifflett has been continued to Aug. 16 on the morning docket, as has a related case. Shifflett and fellow RSW Regional Jail inmate Jonte Smith, below, both overdosed on heroin on Dec. 11/12, fatally in Smith’s case. The involved heroin is believed to have been supplied by a third inmate, Brian Martin.

Several inmates have since failed urine tests, including Martin, who was discovered to have a bag of powder believed to be heroin stuffed down his pants in the wake of the December 12 overdose incident and fatality.

Comments made in court Monday morning by Shifflett attorney Louis K. Nagy indicated his client could be called as a witness in Martin’s trial, if that case goes to trial. So, it would seem the Shifflett defense team is tracking the status of the Martin case as it may pursue a potential plea negotiation of its own.

A preliminary hearing in the Second Degree Murder case against Brian Martin related to Jonte Smith’s OD death, was also continued to Aug 16.