Newton Independent
The Newton man who plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with a Mingo woman's overdose death last year will be sentenced in Jasper County District Court on Monday afternoon.
In May, Wyatt Franklin, 20, plead guilty to the Class D felony charge for "unintentionally" causing the death of Shasta Sapp, 19, by providing her with oxymorphone at a rural Colfax residence in November 2011.
At the May plea hearing, District Court Judge Martha Mertz accepted Franklin's guilty plea and his stipulation that he violated the terms of his probation on previous felony conviction for possession of narcotic drugs. She set sentencing for both matters for 1:30 p.m. Monday.
A charge of manufacture, delivery or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver oxymorphone, a Class C felony, will be dismissed under the terms of the plea agreement.
On Nov. 12, 2011 the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, along with Colfax Fire and EMS, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at 886 W. 120th St. S. in rural Colfax. Upon arrival at the residence, Sapp was discovered and transported to Skiff Medical Center in Newton where she was pronounced dead.
During the investigation by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, the Jasper County Medical Examiner and Jasper County Attorney's Office, it was determined that Sapp had consumed both alcohol and oxymorphone, a schedule II controlled substance, prior to her death. An autopsy conducted on Sapp determined that the level of oxymorphone found in her system contributed to her death.
The investigation determined that Franklin allegedly supplied and prepared the oxymorphone that Sapp consumed. Court records indicate he admitted crushing two 40 mg. Opana pills in cellophane and then divided the crushed pills into lines. A portion of the pills were consumed by Sapp.
On Dec. 21, 2011, probation officers in Jasper County filed a report of violations with the court over Franklin's previous drug conviction and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was taken into custody and placed in the Jasper County Jail. While in the Jasper County Jail awaiting the probation revocation hearing, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office charged Franklin in Sapp's death.
Recent Comments