Murder Defendant, Witness Left Cuffed Together, Fight

A defendant in a murder trial was mistakenly handcuffed to a key prosecution witness, who was also in custody, and the two scuffled after being left alone in a Sheriff’s Department van, officials said.

The suspect, Jonathan Sheppard, and the witness, Kelly Whitt, who is a cousin of the murder victim, started fighting as soon as they were left unguarded. Both sustained minor injuries.

Whitt, a prisoner at the Western Wayne Correctional Facility in Pontiac, testified Monday and Tuesday. He is one of only two men who can place Sheppard at the slaying scene, even though Sheppard has admitted he shot John Wright during a drug deal that went sour on April 29.

Deputies had to subdue Whitt, although it was unclear who started the fight.

Authorities usually transport defendants and witnesses who are in custody in separate vehicles. Ingham County Sheriff’s Capt. Richard Abbott said court deputies in Lansing failed to tell transport officers that the two men had to be separated.