A man in McDowell County, North Carolina, has been charged after a 22-year-old’s death was ruled an overdose.
On July 10, 2025, the McDowell County Sheriffโs Office responded to a call regarding a cardiac arrest.
When deputies arrived, they found Garrett Shepard dead at a home.
McDowell County Sheriff’s Office
In February 2026, an autopsy reported Shephard had died from toxic levels of fentanyl and cocaine in his body. There were no signs of trauma or injury.
Investigators determined 46-year-old James Curtis Johnson was responsible for distributing the drugs to Shepard and was charged with felony death by distribution.
โThis case is a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences tied to fentanyl and illegal drug distribution,โ said Chief Deputy Nathan Mace. โWhen individuals choose to sell or share these substances, they are putting lives at riskโand in this case, it cost a young man his life.”
Allen Carter of Fayetteville is charged with second-degree murder in the death of a three-year-old. (Hoke County Sheriffโs Office)
RAEFORD, N.C. (WNCN) โ A continued investigation has led to a Fayetteville man being charged with murder in the death of a three-year-old child, according to the Hoke County Sheriffโs Office.
The investigation began Dec. 4, 2025, after an unresponsive child was brought to a local hospital and pronounced dead by medical staff, the sheriffโs office said.
Investigators with the sheriffโs office began a death investigation, which led to information that warranted bringing in the Criminal Investigation Division to search a home in the 1500 block of Campbell Road the night of Dec. 5, 2025.
The sheriffโs office said the search was a multiagency affair, with K-9, Special Operations and Narcotics/Vice Suppression units assisting in the search. During the search, the sheriffโs office said drugs and guns were recovered from the home.
Allen Carter and Bridget Leach, who had no relation to the child who died, according to the sheriffโs office, were arrested on gun and drug charges as a result of the search of the home. The sheriffโs office said they were both taken into custody โwithout incidentโ.
Court documents show Carter is charged with possession of scheduled one controlled substance, obstructing justice, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule six controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule one controlled substance, maintaining a dwelling/place for a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting/delaying/obstructing an officer and maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance.
Leach, according to court documents, was charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule six controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule one controlled substance, maintaining a dwelling/place for a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Monday, deputies say further investigation led the sheriffโs office to charge Carter with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, exposing a child to a controlled substance, and felony child abuse.
According to his arrest warrant, Carter is to have alleged to โknowingly, intentionally, or with reckless disregard for human life cause or permit a child to be exposed to a controlled substance (Fentanyl)โ.
At his first court appearance on Tuesday, Carter was given a $1 million secured bond, according to the sheriffโs office. His next court appearance is listed for March 25.
The district said the investment, which is around $21,435.60, was made possible through the support of the county, the Nash County Board of Commissioners, the Nash County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council and the C.A.R.E. Coalition.
โEquipping all 115 Nash County Public School buses with life-saving naloxone and ONEbox overdose response kits demonstrates proactive leadership and a deep investment in protecting children and families across our county,โ the district’s transportation leaders said. โThis initiative is not just about preparation; it is about prevention, awareness, and ensuring that life-saving tools are accessible when seconds matter most.โ
Naloxone is now widely carried by first responders and police. Distribution efforts have also helped make the medication available to community partners. Interim Nash Couty Health Director Liz Lord, who wasn’t invovled in the school bus rollout, said it’s important to make sure the kits are in place as soon as possible.
“Hopefully, they’ll never crack one open on a bus, but if they do need one, it’s there,” Lord said.
Michael Baier, the school districtโs director of transportation, said the investment helps him make sure that every child gets to and from school safely.
โWe are extremely thankful for Nash Countyโs support in making this possible,โ Baier said. โBy equipping all 115 buses with Naloxone and ONEbox kits, we are strengthening our emergency preparedness and reinforcing our commitment to protecting the students entrusted to our care.โ
Nash County Public Schools took time to train bus drivers around the district to make sure they know how to use the kits. In 2025, the county provided training to 132 bus drivers and monitors in the district on recognizing the warning signs of an overdose and how to properly administer Naloxone.
Ayone Cooper, a parent with three kids in the school district, said she’s split on the decision. While she sees the benefits of having naloxone on hand, she worries the overdose reversal drug could encourage risky behavior in some children.
“It’s just like you look at it as a child that has an allergy, you know, you want an EpiPen, you want to have access to that EpiPen, and you want to save that child’s life,” Cooper said. “If this were to happen on a school bus, what would we do? We want to save that child’s life.”
