TOWN HALL MEETING ABOUT FENTANYL

Wilson County & Adjacent NC Counties

TOWN HALL MEETING ABOUT FENTANYLย  (open to the public)
Wilson County & Adjacent NC Counties
Saturday, February 1, 2025, 2:00-4:00 pm

DateSaturday, February 1, 2025, 2:00-4:00 pm
LocationFoundation YMCA of Wilson
233 Nash Street
Wilson NC. 27893
Contacts
  • Barb Walsh, Executive Director, 919-614-3830
    barb@fentvic.org. website:  www.fentvic.org
    Fentanyl Victims Network of NC (fentvic.org), 501(c)(3) EIN 88-3921380 
  • Local Co-Host:ย ย Lisa Bennett, Mother of Mason Bennett, Forever 22. Valued member of fentvc.org. Public safety, education & justice advocate.ย ย 229-873-5648ย ย lisawbennett@me.com
Purpose
  1. SAVE LIVES! Public Safety Education Prevention Tools + Naloxone Distribution & Training
  2. Listen-Learn-Interview devastated fentanyl victim families. It could happen to anyone!
  3. Spark public safety conversations about the dangers of illicit fentanyl, particularly counterfeit pressed pills (Adderall, Xanax, Percocet),ย and access to life-saving naloxone in schools and the community
  4. Connect NC Fentanyl Victim Families to one another for support and advocacy.

Greenville woman charged in 2023 overdose death of man found in vehicle

A Greenville woman has been arrested and charged in Craven County related to the overdose death of a Rocky Run Road man in Dec. 2023.

Amy Sue Gunter, 47, was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 9 after an investigation by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.

In late December 2023 a man was found deceased in his vehicle at a Rocky Run Road residence. The death appeared to be the result of an overdose, and the North Carolina State Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the death was from a fentanyl overdose.

Officials say that an investigation revealed the victim had purchased narcotics from Gunter prior to his death.

Gunter has been charged with the following:

  • Felony Sell and Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance
  • Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Schedule II Controlled Substance

Gunter was being held at the Craven County Detention Center on a $100,000 secured bond as of Jan. 9.

Wilmington man arrested in deadly Raleigh overdose, warrant shows

Read the original article on the WNCN CBS 17 website.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) โ€” A Wilmington man was arrested Monday in connection with a deadly overdose in Raleigh earlier this month, a warrant shows.

According to the warrant issued by the Raleigh Police Department, 23-year-old Martin Lawrence Mulkins Jr. sold fentanyl and cocaine to Jeffrey Warren on Jan. 5, which led to Warrenโ€™s death.

Mulkins is charged with death by distribution/sale, a felony offense, according to the warrant.

Court records show Mulkins received a $5,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Wake County Court on Tuesday.

Town hall meeting to educate public on dangers of fentanyl

A man holds a poster showing Wilson County residents who have died as a result of fentanyl. Families shared their stories outside the Wilson County Courthouse in September to bring awareness to the dangers of the drug. Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina will hold a town hall meeting in Wilson on Feb. 1 at the Foundation YMCA of Wilson.ย Drew C. Wilson | Times file photo

Event organizers are sounding the alarm on the fentanyl crisis that continues to claim lives. The Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina will hold a town hall meeting in Wilson from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1, at Foundation YMCA of Wilson at 233 Nash St.ย 

The purpose of the event, organizers say, is to spark public safety conversations about the dangers of illicit fentanyl, particularly when itโ€™s found in counterfeit pressed pills like Adderall, Xanax and Percocet. 

Organizers will also be distributing naloxone, which goes by the brand name Narcan, and train those attending on how to administer the lifesaving antidote. Local families will also share their heart-wrenching stories of how their loved ones have died from fentanyl poisonings. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. 

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE

Barb Walsh, founder of Fentanyl Victims Network, has been working with Wilson families who are reeling from the loss of their own children who have died as a result of unintentional fentanyl deaths. The hope, she said, is to bring awareness to a problem that is plaguing the country, the state and Wilson. 

โ€œThis is a public safety problem we want to address,โ€ Walsh said. 

Walsh is holding several town halls throughout the state. 

โ€œI chose Wilson because there is a pocket of very active families,โ€ Walsh said. โ€œWe have two death by distribution cases going on (in the court system). 

Local elected officials, public health professionals, advocates, parents of fentanyl victims, first responders and representatives from the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition and the Wilson County district attorneyโ€™s office will be in attendance at the Feb. 1 town hall meeting. Local law enforcement members have also been invited, organizers said. 

โ€œI think itโ€™s important for people to see these numbers and realize how many people are dying,โ€ said Lisa Bennett, co-organizer of the event. Bennett lost her son, 22-year-old Mason Bennett, in February 2023. He died after taking what he believed was a Percocet, a prescription painkiller, but it was laced with fentanyl, she has said. Since her sonโ€™s death, Bennett has been working with Walsh and her nonprofit. 

Walsh said 18,457 people in North Carolina have died as a result of fentanyl over a 10-year period. 

From 2013 to October 2023, there have been 138 fentanyl deaths in Wilson County alone, according to state data Walsh has compiled.

SOUNDING THE ALARM 

Walsh founded the Raleigh-based nonprofit after her daughter, Sophia Walsh, died from fentanyl poisoning in August 2021. Walshโ€™s daughter drank what she thought was a bottled water from someoneโ€™s refrigerator. 

Unbeknownst to her, it contained diluted fentanyl. Sophia died, and no one called 911 until 10 hours later, Walsh said. No one was charged. 

โ€œWe didnโ€™t know what she died from until five months later,โ€ Walsh said. 

After her daughterโ€™s death, Walsh channeled her grief into research, advocacy and justice for other victims. Walsh has worked across the state to bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl and has worked with families to demand justice in their cases by utilizing state law and getting those responsible charged. 

โ€˜IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOUR CHILDโ€™

Walsh said thereโ€™s a misconception about fentanyl deaths. She said not all deaths are the result of someone in active addiction. Some people are simply experimenting. 

Seven out of 10 โ€œstreetโ€ pressed copycat pills contain lethal fentanyl additives, according to officials. 

Fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, is a synthetic opioid that can be lethal even in small doses.

โ€œIt could happen to your child,โ€ Walsh said. โ€œThe pressed pills are the culprit.โ€ 

Organizers hope to educate families and encourage parents to talk with their children about the dangers that are out there. 

โ€œIf we can stop just one family from having to go through this it will be worth it,โ€ Bennett said. 

Bennett said more lives will be saved if more people are armed with Narcan. 

โ€œThey cannot save themselves,โ€ Walsh said. โ€œSomeone in the community will have to save them.โ€ 

For more information about Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina visit www.fentvic.org

2 arrested in overdose death

Accused of dealing deadly drugs

Read the original article on the Harnett County Daily Record website (may be behind paywall).

Two Harnett County men are facing death by distribution charges in the April 2024 overdose death of a 29-year-old wife and mother of three.

Jonathan William Smith
Cody Keen Pope

The Harnett County Sheriffโ€™s Office arrested 32-year-old Cody Keen Pope, of 2717 Old Stage Road South in Erwin, and 42-year-old Jonathan William Smith, of 134 S. Railroad St., Coats, in the death of Logan Brianne Carr. Both men face charges of death by distribution through the unlawful sale or delivery of certain controlled substances, namely fentanyl and methamphetamine in this case.

Carr was a homemaker and the mother of one son and two daughters.

โ€œLogan was a beautiful bright soul with sparkling eyes, big smile, and a quick laugh,โ€ her obituary states. โ€œShe never saw the bad in people, only the hope of what they could be.โ€

Prior to her death, Carr was accepted to the community college system and was planning to pursue a degree in criminal justice with the goal of becoming a probation officer. She was battling an addiction the day she died on Sunday, April 14, 2024. She is survived by her children, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, sisterโ€™s family and a host of other family members and friends.

Logan Brianne Carr, 29, died of an overdose on April 14, 2024.

Pope and Smith were both out on bond in other cases when they were taken into custody for the deadly distribution charge on Wednesday. In Popeโ€™s other case, heโ€™s facing charges of identity theft and obtaining property through a false pretense from a reported offense in January 2024, when he was accused of transferring $2,500 out of another guyโ€™s CashApp into his account. He was initially arrested on those charges six weeks after Carrโ€™s death.

Smith was out on a $500,000 bond, awaiting a December 2025 hearing on charges of felony possession of marijuana, four counts of trafficking in meth and trafficking in opioids when he was picked up Wednesday.

In a first appearance hearing Thursday, Popeโ€™s bond was set at $750,000 secured and Smithโ€™s was set at $1 million secured.

Three people arrested in connection to a fatal overdose in New Hanover County

Read the original article and watch the video on the WECT News 6 website.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Three people have been arrested in connection to the fatal overdose of an 83-year-old in New Hanover County.

The New Hanover County Sheriffโ€™s Office (NHCSO) says on Dec. 6, 2024, deputies found an 83-year-old woman dead inside her home on Horndale Drive in New Hanover County.

On Jan. 10, deputies arrested 30-year-old Michael Britt, 46-year-old Daniel Reaves, and 45-year-old Melissa Norris-Cribb in connection to the overdose.

Britt was charged with:

  • Death by Distribution
  • Trafficking in Opium or Heroin/Fentanyl
  • Trafficking Methamphetamines
  • Possession with the intent to Manufacture, Sell and Deliver Fentanyl
  • Sell and Deliver Schedule I (Fentanyl)
  • Conspiracy to Sell Schedule I (Fentanyl)
  • Maintain/Sell/Deliver/Possess within 1000 feet of a school
  • Possession of a firearm by a felon

According to NHCSO, Britt received an additional 23 drug-related charges and has a $1,190,000 secured bond.

Cribb was charged with:

  • Death by Distribution
  • Possession with the intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Schedule I (Fentanyl)
  • Sell and Deliver Schedule I (Fentanyl)
  • Conspiracy to Sell Schedule I (Fentanyl)

According to NHCSO, Cribb received a $155,000 secured bond.

Reaves was charged with:

  • Death by Distribution
  • Possession with the intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Schedule I (Fentanyl)
  • Sell and Deliver Schedule 1 (Fentanyl)
  • Conspiracy to Sell Schedule I (Fentanyl)

According to NHCSO, Reaves received no bond as he waits for his first appearance in New Hanover County Superior Court.

WRDC Community Matters January 11, 2025

On Saturday January 11, 2025 WRDC Community Matters aired a special episode where Barb Walsh, Michelle Murdock, and Betsy Moore from Wake County shared their stories.

Barb Walsh, Executive Director of Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina, fights to save lives and get justice for those killed by fentanyl poisoning. Joining Barb in the fight are Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina members Michelle Murdock and Betsy Ballard Moore.

There are two episodes being aired, Part 1 is airing January 11th, Part 2 will air one week later, January 18.

Family files wrongful death suit against Brunswick County Sheriff, deputies, and parole officer

Read the original article or listen to the audio on the WHQR website.

Tina and Tom Johnson have brought a federal lawsuit against Sheriff Brian Chism and several other law enforcement officers. They’re alleging that the department is responsible for the death of their daughter Brittany Johnson. WHQR’s Nikolai Mather sat down with news director Ben Schachtman to discuss the details of this case.

Ben Schachtman: Nikolai โ€” thanks for joining us. So the plaintiffs in this lawsuit are Tina and Tom Johnson. You’ve reported on story before: remind people who they are and whatโ€™s the latest.

Nikolai Mather: Yeah, so, the Johnsons are a married couple from Supply. They lost their daughter Brittany Johnson to a meth overdose in 2022. Ever since then, they’ve been asking the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office to share the findings of its investigation into her death. Now, they’re suing several law enforcement officers, saying that they should be held responsible for her death.

BS: So who specifically are they suing?

NM: Four of the defendants are named. There’s Alexander Melvin, who is a deputy for BCSO’s drug enforcement unit; Timmie Clemmons, who is a BCSO detective; Sheriff Brian Chism, and Alice Camden Alessandra, who was Brittany Johnson’s parole officer at the time of her death. The Johnsons are also suing 5 John Does, saying that because they don’t yet know everyone involved in their daughter’s death, they’re using those names as placeholders. They’re also suing Brunswick County as a whole.

BS: Gotcha. So whatโ€™s the Johnsonsโ€™ case for this as a wrongful death?

NM: Well, to understand that, you have to understand the rocky relationship they have with BCSO.

After investigating, the sheriff’s office declared her cause of death to be accidental drug overdose, with no foul play suspected. But the Johnsons think that’s not the full story. Like, after her death, they found a Bluetooth connection in their daughter’s car labeled “BCSO Surveillance Unit 098.” The sheriff’s office told them they had no idea where it came from, but the Johnsons think it suggests their daughter was a confidential informant for the department.

They’ve asked the sheriff for answers. BCSO told them their daughter wasn’t a CI, but didn’t say whether her friends were. And in a lot of instances, the office has clammed up entirely, saying they need a court order for more info.

BS: So, to be clear, these allegations are things BCSO has disputed or declined to comment on?

NM: Right. These allegations are based on the Johnsons’ own findings, in their own private investigation. And they now say that they have reason to believe their daughter was a confidential informant for the sheriff. Brittany had previously struggled with drug addiction, and her family says putting her in that position ultimately contributed to her relapse and to her death.

BS: I see. So this is a pretty big step โ€“ a federal lawsuit is no joke. But I was curious as to whether they were pursuing any criminal charges here, in addition to these civil charges.

NM: That process is a little different. You can ask the FBI or the SBI to look into a case. But ultimately, criminal investigations are up to those guys, whereas anyone can file a civil lawsuit. You’ve been covering the courts longer than me, Ben โ€” is it typical for a civil lawsuit to be filed when there isnโ€™t a criminal investigation?

BS: It really depends on the case. When it comes to law enforcement, there might be a lot of things that arenโ€™t illegal but constitute policy violations. That could involve a review by state authorities โ€” but it wouldnโ€™t be for criminal charges. Also, itโ€™s worth noting that in North Carolina, as in many states, the standard of proof for crimes like involuntary manslaughter โ€” or negligent homicide โ€” is going to be more intense than proving liability in a civil case.

NM: For sure.

BS: So, whatโ€™s next for this case?

NM: Well, I asked BCSO some questions about this lawsuit. Glenn Emery, an attorney with the office, said they couldn’t really comment on an ongoing lawsuit.

Thereโ€™s not a trial date quite yet. The plaintiffs will have to respond, and will likely ask to dismiss the case. But if it stays in court, there will be discovery โ€” meaning the Johnsons will have to produce their evidence, and the Sheriffโ€™s Office will likely have to turn over some documents as well. If the case proceeds, thereโ€™s also a good chance some of the people they mention in the suit will be brought in for sworn depositions or asked to sign affidavits.

BS: That was WHQR’s rural reporter Nikolai Mather. Nikolai, thanks for coming by.

NM: You’re welcome.

On a mission to prosecute fentanyl dealers, Union County opens its own autopsy center

Read the original article on the Charlotte Observer website.

When autopsy backlogs in North Carolina threatened Union County officersโ€™ ability to prosecute drug overdose cases, they opened their own center to continue their yearslong drug purge amid state delays.

A temporary autopsy center that opened in the bottom of a Monroe hospital Dec. 17 is the ninth regional center in the state. Itโ€™s also one countyโ€™s latest attempt to combat two issues plaguing the state: drug deaths and autopsy delays.

The North Carolina General Assembly since its 2023 session has given Union County $22 million to open the South Piedmont Regional Autopsy Center under oversight from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The county soon hopes find a permanent building to better host eight more counties and get the proper accreditation to help with the toxicology reports backlog, too.

Autopsy and toxicology backlogs have been caused by increasing overdose deaths and too few forensic pathologists, a Charlotte Observer investigation revealed last year. They leave grieving families and investigating law enforcement waiting too long for answers.

For Union County, those delays were made worse when the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner moved Union Countyโ€™s autopsies from Mecklenburg County โ€” less than an hour away โ€” to Wake County โ€” about three hours away โ€” in 2022.

The switch was supposed to help with backlogs, but transportation time coupled with the Raleigh centerโ€™s staffing shortages created more delays, said Tony Underwood, the chief deputy of operations with the Union County Sheriffโ€™s Office.

Each Raleigh pathologist, the Observer previously reported, completes, on average, 557 autopsies each year. Thatโ€™s more than twice the number recommended by a national accrediting group, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley previously told the Observer.

โ€œBottom line, plain and simple, the medical examination system is in crisis,โ€ Kinsley said.

The Raleigh autopsy center told Underwood it does not โ€œroutinely do full autopsies in suspected drug overdose cases,โ€ he said in an interview with the Observer.

Mecklenburgโ€™s center did, Underwood said.

The change became a problem for Union County law enforcement.

The sheriffโ€™s office and Union District Attorney Trey Robison were charging and prosecuting drug dealers who sold deadly substances to people even before a state law paved the way to do that.

A 2019 bill introduced a โ€œdeath by distributionโ€ charge to North Carolina, allowing dealers to be charged with killing someone by selling or giving them the drug that killed them. It is largely regarded as a โ€œhard-to-proveโ€ charge, but Union County is among the top counties pursuing and prosecuting it, according to nonprofit research by the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina.

Union County, Underwood said, had been charging dealers with second-degree murder before โ€œdeath by distributionโ€ was introduced.

That meant Union County officers were routinely requesting autopsies and toxicology reports in almost every overdose case.

But in Raleigh, they sometimes needed to have โ€œprobable causeโ€ that a crime was committed to request an autopsy, Underwood said. Toxicology reports, which show what substances were in a personโ€™s system when they died, typically give probable cause.

But state toxicology reports are finished more slowly than autopsy reports, sometimes taking months or years to be completed.

In 2023 in Raleigh, the medical examinerโ€™s office had just one forensic toxicologist to certify all drug casework, the Observer previously reported.

Union Countyโ€™s temporary autopsy center is a step in the right direction, said Barb Walsh, the founder and executive director of Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. But North Carolina really needs more toxicologists, she said.

Walsh, whose daughter died after unknowingly drinking from a water bottle that had fentanyl in it, had to wait five months to learn what killed her daughter in 2021.

โ€œAnd I thought that was awful,โ€ she said, โ€œbut I am consistently getting calls from families that are waiting 10 and 12 months.โ€

From 2019 to 2023, according to the state health department, North Carolina experienced a 26% increase in cases. That was โ€œundoubtedly influenced by the 69% increase in suspected drug overdose cases,โ€ spokesperson Hannah Jones wrote in an email.

โ€œAnother regional autopsy center is a welcome addition to the NC Medical Examiner System to help with the many cases that come through,โ€ she wrote.

In 2025, Underwood said, the sheriffโ€™s office is seeking accreditation to expand its toxicology lab โ€” which is currently used to test blood from impaired drivers โ€” to be able to test blood from those who died from an overdose or fentanyl poisoning.

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