In Huntington, West Virginia, legal authorities are actively attempting to prevent a 40-year-old incarcerated man, facing serious charges such as murder and the concealment of a deceased human body, from proceeding with his controversial marriage plans.
Prosecutors are attempting to prevent Shannon Patrick Overstreet from a Valentine’s Day wedding to a woman who is also a state’s witness in his trial.
This unusual twist in the case was revealed on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, during a Cabell County Circuit Court hearing.
Shannon Overstreet, awaiting trial for the alleged murder of his three-month-old daughter, Angel Nichole Overstreet, who went missing in 2021 and is presumed dead, has entered a plea of not guilty.
The prosecution asserts that Overstreet killed his daughter and then transported her body to Kentucky. The infant was reported missing on May 25, 2021, with no confirmation of her whereabouts after May 8, 2021.
Courtroom sources indicate that Overstreet is planning to marry a woman next month on Valentine’s Day, who is slated to be a state’s witness against him in his murder trial.
Philip Morrison, the Prosecuting Attorney, raised concerns in court about this marriage, indicating it could effectively make the witness unavailable due to spousal immunity laws.
Morrison acknowledged there was no direct evidence that this was Overstreet’s intention but emphasized the practical implications of such a marriage.
Judge Paul T. Farrell of the Cabell County Circuit Court expressed skepticism about whether he had the authority to prevent the marriage.
Responding to Morrison’s request for legal precedent, the judge was informed that no existing case law supported such an intervention.
Shannon Overstreet’s legal troubles extend beyond the current murder charge. He is serving a sentence of up to 10 years following a plea to one count of malicious wounding for an assault on his mother in 2021.
In that crime, Overstreet attacked his mother, dragging her by the hair and leaving her injured on the floor. The woman was beaten so severely that she suffered a brain bleed.
The marriage case has drawn significant attention due to its complex legal and ethical dimensions, particularly concerning the implications of spousal immunity in criminal proceedings.
The court has set another date, January 23, to further discuss this matter.