(ConservativeSense.com) – A suspect connected to a California mass shooting in 2022 that killed several people was discovered dead over the weekend inside his jail cell, according to his lawyer.
On Saturday, June 8, 29-year-old Smiley Martin died in his jail cell where his body was discovered. Martin, who was locked up on three felony charges, was awaiting trial in connection to a shooting in Sacramento on April 3, 2022.
Martin’s death was confirmed by Norman Dawson, his public defender, who told reporters that his client “passed away” while “fighting to defend his innocence.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on social media on Saturday announcing that an inmate, aged 29, died at the Sacramento County Main Jail around 2:15 AM. They did not identify the deceased man as Martin, but confirmed that he “had been in custody since April 20, 2022.”
The statement says that the inmate was found “unresponsive” by Main Jail Deputies as they conducted “a cell check in the 5-East 300 Pod.” The deputies entered the cell and tried to administer first-aid before the arrival of medical staff. When fire personnel arrived, they “continued life-saving efforts,” but were unable to revive the inmate. The Sheriff’s Office said an investigation is ongoing “in accordance with department procedures and state laws,” and that the cause of death will be determined by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office, which would also release his name.
The April 3 incident in 2022 happened around 2 AM in Sacramento’s downtown entertainment neighborhood as bars were closing for the night and patrons poured out onto the streets. Over 100 shots were fired, some of which were captured on video and posted to social media. Three men and three women died, and a dozen more were injured, including two of the five shooters involved. Martin was one of those injured shooters and was arrested while in the hospital.
Two other men were arrested in connection with the shooting, one of whom was Martin’s 26-year-old brother, Candra Martin.
Copyright 2024, ConservativeSense.com
