Smyth County Judge Certifies Capital Murder Charge

MARION, Va. – The Saltville man accused of capital murder after a home invasion left one person dead and three injured was smiling when he entered the courtroom Wednesday.

Jason Scott Betts waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and Smyth County General District Court Judge Sage Johnson certified his five charges – one count of capital murder, three of malicious wounding and one of breaking and entering – to the Smyth County Circuit Court.

If convicted, Betts, 25, could be sentenced to death; his murder charge was previously amended from first-degree to capital murder.
Also Wednesday, the court approved amended charges against Mithrellas Curtis, Betts’ co-defendant in the case, who is now accused of aiding and abetting a capital murder plus three counts of aiding and abetting malicious wounding. Her preliminary hearing is set for June 17.
Curtis, 23, of Glade Spring, faces a possible life sentence plus 60 years if convicted.
The charges were issued in connection with a Dec. 8 home invasion at the residence of James Brown outside Chilhowie, Va.
Brown was attacked and killed that morning. Three others in the home – his wife, Connie, daughter Jennifer and daughter’s boyfriend James Bland were wounded.
A few days later, Betts and Curtis were arrested in Texas, just a couple hours drive from the Mexican border.
“I can say that I really feel for the family of the Browns, and I wish that it had never happened,” said Kathleen Curtis, mother of Mithrellas Curtis.
Betts’ mother had no comment Wednesday, citing a request from her son that she not talk to the news media. She cried as he was led out of the courtroom.
Jennifer Brown declined to comment, saying she doesn’t want to relive the events anymore than necessary.
“It’s not against the family or the friends, it’s really not,” Brown said of the case against Betts and Curtis. “It’s against the two people that did it.”
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