Douglas Summers could face 10 years after a New Year's fight that violates the terms of his probation in a murder plea agreement.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published January 3, 2004
CLEARWATER - A judge gave Douglas Summers his last chance a few months ago.
When Summers pleaded no contest to a third-degree murder charge on Sept. 11, a judge gave him a suspended 10-year prison sentence.
Judge Phil Federico told Summers that he had to fulfill drug treatment, serve two years of house arrest and serve four years of probation after that.
The judge warned Summers that if he ever landed back in his courtroom, he could expect a 10-year prison sentence.
Summers, 22, likely will be in Federico's courtroom again. He violated the conditions of his probation and house arrest on New Year's Day when St. Petersburg police arrested him on a battery charge.
Arrest reports indicate Summers got into a fight at a neighbor's house, then pushed a man into an entertainment center.
Summers was charged with third-degree murder in the July 2001 death of his 18-year-old girlfriend, Shawna Warth. She died of an overdose after Summers injected her with heroin.
Clearwater police found Warth dead after they were called to Summers' condominium in the 1700 block of N Highland Avenue on July 2, 2001.
Summers, who admitted he was a drug addict, told detectives that he and Warth had tried to inject her with heroin, but could not. Summers said he then injected the drug into her arm. Summers said they fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, Warth was dead.
Summers was charged with third-degree murder because he provided Warth with the drug that killed her. Partially because of the complicated nature of the investigation, he wasn't arrested until October 2002.
He pleaded no contest to the murder charge after striking a deal with prosecutors.
Summers was being held at the Pinellas County Jail Friday without bail.
