UPDATE: A Volusia County jury only took 50 minutes to come back with a not guilty verdict today for John Mai on a first-degree murder charge. That does not mean he's a free man. He is in the Volusia County Jail waiting for his next trial scheduled for April 20, 2020. The charges in that case are Trafficking in Heroin or Hydromorphone of more than one once. He's also charged with Possession of Cocaine, MDMA and Marijuana, all with Intent to Sell.
Daytona Beach, FL - The trial on murder charges due to a drug overdose is underway for 26-year-old John Mai. The Volusia Sheriff's Office says that Mai supplied the fentanyl in the death of 22- year-old Samantha Stefanczak last March.
On March 24, 2019, Daytona Beach Police discovered Stefanczak and another person unresponsive in a vehicle near the corner of North Beach Street & Michigan
Avenue. The person found in the driver’s seat of the vehicle was revived by first responders. Stefanczak did not revive even after being administered Narcan at the scene. She was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center for treatment. She died on March 29. Mai was indicted on murder charges pertaining to the death on July 19, 2019.
First-degree murder is not the only charge against Mai in this trial. He's also looking at numerous drug charges, to include both possession and trafficking. Other charges are resisting arrest without violence, attempting to elude, and leaving the scene of an accident.
At the age of 27, Mai has already served seven-and-a-half years of a ten-year sentence for leaving the scene of crash resulting in death. Sheriff Mike Chitwood has this to say about Mai, "From when he was a teenager, he basically looked the criminal justice system in the eye and said "Screw you, I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to break the law. I'm going to get involved in drug dealing. I'm going to commit armed robbery. Catch me if you can.'"
This is a developing story. Check back with NewsDaytonaBeach.com for updates on the trial.
