Sallisaw woman charged with murder
A Sallisaw woman has been charged in Sequoyah County District Court with felony murder in the first degree after a man reportedly died at her residence in April after an alleged overdose of fentanyl.
In drug overdose death
A Sallisaw woman has been charged in Sequoyah County District Court with felony murder in the first degree after a man reportedly died at her residence in April after an alleged overdose of fentanyl.
Shawna M. Pratt, 43, was charged Nov. 10 and a felony warrant was issued for her arrest the same day, according to court records.
Sallisaw Police officer Herb Hutchinson said on April 7 he was contacted by Lt. Tucker Martins in reference to a possible drug overdose at Pratt’s residence on Elm Street that could have allegedly involved fentanyl.
Martins reported while at Pratt’s residence, she told him the victim, Joshua Choate, used her bathroom and she and another individual heard him collapse. Emergency personnel arrived to help Choate until he was transported to a nearby hospital.
When Hutchinson arrived on the scene, Martens pointed out a syringe cap on the bathroom vanity and Pratt told authorities Choate’s hat was in her bedroom. She also stated there could be a can that was used to melt a pill on and when officers went into the bedroom, they reportedly located a “torch” in Choate’s hat.
The officers asked for consent to search the residence but Pratt reportedly told them to get a warrant. Pratt said the other individual, Whitley Plank, who was with her inside the residence had picked up a syringe inside the bathroom and left it in a bedroom.
Hutchinson was able to obtain a search warrant and during a search of the bedrooms, he reported finding digital scales with white crystal residue, five individual bags containing around 18 grams of a white crystal substance, multiple loaded syringes, assorted pills, and a bag containing around 22 grams of an off-white crystal substance. The substances later tested positive for methamphetamine.
In a bedroom dresser, police reported finding a bent spoon with a blue and white substance, along with a syringe missing the cap. Choate’s cell phone was also reportedly found on the floor near the dresser, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Pratt was arrested and transported to the Sallisaw Police Department, and Plank was taken into custody by a drug court supervisor and transported to the Sequoyah County Detention Center.
Pratt agreed to speak with police, telling them Plank and Choate had been using pills earlier in the week when Choate allegedly showed up with the pill, which he reportedly identified as fentanyl. She claimed she didn’t want them using the drug in her residence but knew there was Narcan in the home, so she allowed them to use the pill. Pratt alleged when Choate went into the bathroom to use the drug, he walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed.
According to Pratt, Plank called 911 while she administered Narcan to Choate. She said she then pulled Choate to the floor and tried administering CPR until EMS arrived. She said Plank left the residence and that she didn’t know where Choate got the pill from.
Plank was interviewed the following day at the Drug Court office where she told Hutchinson she’d known Choate for about two years and he allegedly talked about using fentanyl and wanted more. Plank said she told Choate that Pratt was allegedly trying to get rid of a half M30 fentanyl pill so he went to the residence where he reportedly paid Pratt $10 for the half pill using CashApp. Plank admitted to snorting a small amount of the pill and said Choate got a spoon from the kitchen but brought his own syringe. She said Choate then walked into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later holding the syringe and mumbling. She said they laid him on the bed while she called 911 and Pratt gave him Narcan. She said she left and went to another residence and then Pratt called her, wanting her to come back.
According to the office of the Chief Medical Examiner, it shows the probable cause of death for Choate, 31, was due to fentanyl toxicity.
District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty of the crime, it is punishable by death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for life without parole.
