Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office / Austin Chase KingA Chattanooga man has been indicted in the overdose death of a woman who had alleged she was forcibly baptized by a former Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Austin Chase King, 22, was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on counts of second-degree murder and sale and distribution of fentanyl in the April 13, 2021, death of Shandle Riley.
Riley, 42, was found unresponsive in her Soddy-Daisy cabin by her landlord. She had filed a lawsuit against former Deputy Daniel Wilkey and Deputy Jacob Goforth involving the late-night baptism in Soddy Lake.
A Hamilton County medical examiner ruled her death as a result of an accidental overdose of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
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On Feb. 6, 2019, Riley was pulled over by Wilkey in the Soddy-Daisy area. During the stop, Riley said she was in possession of a marijuana roach, according to court documents.
Wilkey assured her if she allowed him to baptize her, he would only write her a citation and she would go free, according to the lawsuit, still being pressed by Riley’s family. The baptism was recorded by Goforth on his cellphone.
King’s July 10 indictment came with a $50,000 bond.
King, who is being held at the Silverdale Detention Center, is scheduled to appear before Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn on Aug. 4.
Wilkey was indicted in December 2019 on 44 criminal charges, which included six counts of sexual battery, two counts of rape, nine counts of official oppression and multiple counts of extortion, in various incidents involving traffic stops.
The charges were all dismissed in May of this year due to complications involving a transition in leadership at the DA’s office.
Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garret has rescinded a request to the Tennessee Peace Officers Stands and Training Commission sent by the former sheriff to decertify Wilkey, saying the Sheriff’s Office no longer “wishes to pursue the decertification.”
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.