Last updated on February 23, 2022
An overdose at the Jackson County Detention Center on December 25, 2021 resulted in the arrest of Former Detention Officer Patty Stillwell.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation after an inmate overdosed and was transported to Harris Hospital. The inmate made a full recovery.
During the course of the investigation, conducted by deputies and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, 16 individuals have been charged in connection with bringing, or conspiring to bring, drugs into the Detention Center.
Former Detention Officer Patty Stillwell is among the individuals charged. Stillwell was
placed on investigatory leave without pay on December 26, 2021 and resigned from her
position on December 27, 2021. Stillwell is a former Detention Sergeant for Haywood County Detention Center and was employed at Macon County Animal Control at the time of her arrest.
The individuals charged are as follows:
WHITFIELD JORDAN ANDERSON, AGE 32, SYLVA
AMBER CARROL-LEIGH BRADLEY, AGE 31, (INCARCERATED IN NC DEPT OF CORRECTIONS)
RASHONDA LASHAE BRADLEY, AGE 34, BRYSON CITY (ARREST PENDING)
LORI JANE CANTRELL, AGE 49, CHEROKEE
JESSICA MYRAAH McCOY, AGE 27 (INCARCERATED IN NC DEPT OF CORRECTIONS) BROOKE
TIFFANI CLONCH, AGE 29, SYLVA (ARREST PENDING)
DUSTIN JAMES KIRKLAND, AGE 36, BRYSON CITY
NATASHA BELLE KIRKLAND, AGE 34, BRYSON CITY
BRITTANY DANIELLE McCALL, AGE 34, SYLVA
CAROL DALE MINTZ, AGE 32, (INCARCERATED IN NC DEPT OF CORRECTIONS)
WILLIAM GARRETT PANNELL, AGE 22, SYLVA (ARRESTED)
COLBY TAYLOR PRICE, AGE 30, CHEROKEE (ARRESTED)
KAITLYN BROOKE PRICE, AGE 29, CHEROKEE (ARRESTED)
PATTY DANIELLE STILLWELL, AGE 30, SYLVA (ARRESTED)
SHAYLA FAYE TRULL, AGE 23, SYLVA (ARRESTED)
CHARLES WILLIAM DUNCAN, AGE 51, SYLVA (ARRESTED)
*A previous version of this article stated Dakota Anders was arrested in connection to this incident. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the charges against Anders have since been dropped.*
“The men and women employed in our detention center work hard each and every day. It is
disappointing the actions of a single employee overshadows the great work our detention staff
performs daily.” – SHERIFF CHIP HALL
“As Sheriff of Jackson County I will continue to have high standards in the area of employee conduct
and will take swift action when these standards are not met.” – SHERIFF CHIP HALL
NCGS 14-258.1 Furnish Controlled Substances to an Inmate
(a) If any person shall give or sell to any inmate of any charitable, mental or penal institution, or
local confinement facility, or if any person shall combine, confederate, conspire, aid, abet,
solicit, urge, investigate, counsel, advise, encourage, attempt to procure, or procure another or
others to give or sell to any inmate of any charitable, mental or penal institution, or local
confinement facility, any deadly weapon, or any cartridge or ammunition for firearms of any
kind, or any controlled substances included in Schedules I through VI contained in Article 5 of
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes except under the general supervision of a practitioner,
poison or poisonous substance, except upon the prescription of a physician, he shall be
punished as a Class H felon; and if he be an officer or employee of any institution of the State,
or of any local confinement facility, he shall be dismissed from his position or office.
Conspiracy
Conspiracy is governed by NCGS 14-2.4. Conspiracy is when two or more people agree to
commit a crime and then take some step toward committing the crime. The person charged
must have also had the specific intent to carry out the crime. They do not actually have to
complete the crime or even attempt the crime to be charged with conspiracy.
NCGS 14-2.4. Punishment for conspiracy to commit a felony
(a) Unless a different classification is expressly stated, a person who is convicted of a conspiracy
to commit a felony is guilty of a felony that is one class lower than the felony he or she
conspired to commit, except that a conspiracy to commit a Class A or Class B1 felony is a Class
B2 felony, a conspiracy to commit a Class B2 felony is a Class C felony, and a conspiracy to
commit a Class I felony is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
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