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Man charged with murder of cellmate in Maryland prison

A 37-year-old man faces second-degree murder and other charges in the death of his cellmate at the Jessup Correctional Institution in January, Maryland State Police said Monday.

Johnnie L. Sellers Jr., also faces manslaughter, first-degree assault and second-degree assault charges in relation to the death of Glenn E. Smith, 58, who was found with multiple injuries to his face in the cell he shared with Sellers on Jan. 18, police said.

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Smith died at Maryland Shock Trauma Center on Jan. 21, when corrections officials contacted the state police to investigate, police said. An autopsy determined Smith's death was the result of a homicide, from "multiple blunt force injuries," police said.

Sellers is serving a 35-year sentence he received in 2004 for armed carjacking and first-degree assault, according to court records and a corrections spokesman.

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Court records show an arrest warrant on the new charges was issued for Sellers in June. They also show a bail review occurred Monday, with bail being set at $2 million.

The charges filed against Sellers were made in consultation with prosecutors in the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office, police said. Sellers did not have an attorney listed as of Monday.

Smith was last seen uninjured on the evening of Jan. 17 "before the cells were locked for the night," police said. The next morning, Sellers "reported to the tier correctional officer that Smith was injured," police said.

Smith was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 in Wicomico County for rape, burglary, assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, possession of a deadly weapon, theft and intimidation, according to court records.

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