LONGWOOD, Fla. — A man charged with murder after an overdose entered a guilty plea Monday and was ordered to be locked up with a picture of his victim.
Jon Wiggins II, 46, was found dead from a fentanyl overdose in a home in Longwood in 2018.
Austin SMILEY (42) Sentenced to 8 years DOC for 2018 Drug Delivery Death of Jon Wiggins II. After hearing family members impact statements, Judge orders victim's photo be displayed in SMILEY's prison cell. Details & prosecutor's statement: https://t.co/dl2dxAH6ms @SeminoleSO pic.twitter.com/MTFLRnvsDH
— State Attorney 18th Circuit FL (@SA18PIO) January 5, 2021
Investigators identified 42-year-old Austin Smiley as the person who sold the drugs to Wiggins and a second victim who overdosed but survived.
Smiley was indicted on a first-degree murder charge later that year, but fled, and was arrested in Volusia County in January 2019.
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Smiley pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and felony delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to eight years on each charge in the Department of Corrections, followed by seven years of probation.
After accepting Smiley’s plea, Judge Debra Nelson ordered that a photo of Wiggins- copied from one his family brought to the sentencing - be kept in Smiley’s cell for the duration of his time in jail.
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“I’m thankful this outcome has provided some closure to the Wiggins family,” Assistant State Attorney Mitchell Ruark said about the plea. “And that Mr. Smiley will be seeing Jon’s photo each and every day he wakes up in prison.”
Wiggins’ mother, brother, and sister-in-law attended the sentencing to read impact statements to the court. Wiggins was a former Marine and National Guardsman.
Cox Media Group
