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RALEIGH MAN CHARGED AFTER WENDELL WOMAN, 56, DIES FROM FENTANYL HE ALLEGEDLY SOLD HER

Read the original article on the HoodLine.com website.

A 35-year-old Raleigh man has been charged with death by distribution after a 56-year-old Wendell woman fatally overdosed on fentanyl she allegedly bought from him. Jimmie Gerrell McKinnie was already sitting in jail on other Wake County charges when investigators tied him to the woman’s death, and he remained jailed without bail as of Wednesday morning.

According to the Raleigh News & Observer, McKinnie is charged with death by distribution and conspiracy to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance. Court records cited by the paper show the alleged fentanyl sale happened on June 18, 2025, and public records indicate the woman died the very next day, June 19, 2025.

How Investigators Say They Caught McKinnie Selling Fentanyl

The case against McKinnie did not start with the Wendell woman’s death. The News & Observer’s report notes that the Raleigh Police Department opened an investigation into him in February 2025 after receiving an anonymous complaint alleging he was selling fentanyl. That inquiry led to a separate charge: trafficking fentanyl by possession tied to a February 2025 incident, for which McKinnie posted a $3,000 secured bail bond, court records show.

The same reporting states that investigators later witnessed McKinnie selling suspected drugs to a woman at a Burger King on Rock Quarry Road. The account also describes a March search application that described McKinnie himself as a validated gang member, and it references a confidential informant who obtained a price quote from McKinnie for fentanyl.

A Long History of Drug Charges in Wake County

Court records reviewed by the outlet show McKinnie has been convicted of drug-related charges several times in Wake County, including a possession of heroin conviction in May 2019. By the time the death by distribution charge was filed, he was already being held in jail on several pending Wake County charges, and per the same account, he remained in custody without bail as of Wednesday morning.

North Carolina has a controlled-substances statute maintained by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Resources for Wake County Residents

Wake County runs a drug overdose prevention coalition that connects residents to educational resources and tracks metrics like treatment access, according to the county’s Wake County government page. The county also references a methadone clinic in North Raleigh that offers medication-assisted therapy and counseling for people seeking help overcoming addiction to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids, per the county’s opioid settlement page.

2nd arrest made in Wake County woman’s deadly overdose in 2025, deputies say

Read the original article and watch the video on the CBS17 website.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A second arrest was announced Thursday after an arrest earlier this week in connection with a woman’s deadly overdose in Wake County last summer, according to a Wake County Sheriff’s Office news release.

According to a warrant filed by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Jimmie Gerrell McKinnie of Raleigh is accused of selling fentanyl to Jessica Anne Basinger on June 18, 2025, which caused her death.

Basinger, 56, of Wendell, died the following day, leaving behind her husband, four children, and two grandchildren, according to her obituary.

Her friends told CBS 17 News that the community misses her. She lived in the same neighborhood along Pointers Glen Way in Wendell for more than twenty years.

“It was a shock. She had gone through hard times, but she was a great person,” one neighbor said. “She had a will to fight and keep going.”

The warrant shows McKinnie, who was arrested Tuesday, is also accused of conspiring to deliver the fentanyl. Thomas Carroll, 30, was arrested in the case on Thursday with help from the Asheville Police Department, the sheriff’s office news release said.

McKinnie, 35, was charged with death by distribution by sale and conspiracy to deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, according to court records.

Carroll was charged with felony death by distribution sale and felony conspire sell/deliver a schedule II controlled substance, the sheriff’s office said.

According to records, McKinnie made his first appearance in Wake County court on Wednesday and was not given bond. His next appearance has not been scheduled as of Wednesday.

Carroll is being held in the Buncombe County Detention Facility without bond.

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said the incident remains under investigation.

Records show McKinnie was convicted of three felonies in Wake County between 2014 and 2019, which were one count attempted common law robbery and two counts of possession of heroin.

In February, according to records, McKinnie was indicted in Wake County Superior Court on a habitual felon charge due to his three convictions.

According to records, McKinnie also has active felony cases against him from the Raleigh Police Department. He is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with a shooting last November and possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana in connection with an incident in March.

Recorded overdoses in NC down 27% midway through 2026. Local departments warn of fentanyl spike

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL News website.

Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows midway through 2026, North Carolina is seeing a 27% reduction of reported opioid overdoses across state emergency departments.

Between January and June, to include six months of DHHS data, there are 2,031 reported opioid overdoses in the state. That’s down by more than 700 overdoses compared to the same period of time last year.

Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.

This comes six months after WRAL reported that North Carolina, as a state, saw another consecutive year of declining opioid and fentanyl overdose numbers. An analysis of state health data showed that opioid overdose hospitalizations had decreased by more than 20% in the last year, marking two consecutive years of declining emergency department visits in North Carolina. The same data source shows similar trends for fentanyl positive deaths, which decreased by 24% in the last year.

Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.

In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community.

“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said.

This rare spike comes as Cumberland County is experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses reported to hospitals. Monthly DHHS data shows there are 33 reported cases so far this year, down from 95 over the same window of time last year.

Illicit opioids, which includes fentanyl, make up more than half of the emergency department visits in the state.

Even still, local police departments are issuing public safety notices about localized spikes in suspected fentanyl.

In Fayetteville, policer offers report an increase of overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl in the local community.

“The increase has prompted concern that particularly potent or contaminated illegal drugs may currently be circulating in the Fayetteville area,” a spokesperson for the department said.

By the numbers: Hospitalizations, deaths track down

Statewide, North Carolina recorded 4,960 emergency department visits related to opioid overdoses in 2025. That marks a 21% decrease in the last year, and a 48% decrease since 2023 when the state recorded a record number of 9,624.

In total, overdose emergency department visits decreased by 14% between 2024 and 2025. Last year’s 10,627 cases still mark a 43% reduction since 2023.

Total Overdose Emergency Department visits

WRAL analyzed data across the Raleigh area, including the North Carolina counties that surround the capital city. Eight counties did not offer county-level reporting. The year-over-year data revealed that rural counties are among those that have seen the largest gains in opioid hospitalization reduction from a per capita standpoint.

“Since the spike stream of the pandemic, we’re following national trends and exceeding national trends. Not only state but county-level data,” Dr. Kelly Crosbie says, Director of DHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services

Percent change between 2024 and 2025

Two arrested in connection with Riley Goolishian’s fentanyl death in Beaufort

Beaufort, NC — Two men are now behind bars in connection with the death of a 25-year-old woman following a joint investigation, according to the Beaufort Police Department.

Officials say 26-year-old Ladavion Vontrell Manning of Morrisville and 24-year-old Kevin Crishawn Milliken of Apex are facing second-degree murder, death by distribution and the sale and delivery of Schedule II controlled substances.

Manning was taken into custody at his Morrisville home on May 2, 2025 and was also charged with sale and delivery of fentanyl. He remains jailed at the Carteret County Detention Center under a $750,000 bond.

On Tuesday, June 3 officials arrested Milliken in Chatham County. He also faces separate charges in Chatham County, including felony possession of cocaine, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling, possession of drug paraphernalia and simple possession of a schedule IV-controlled substance. Milliken remains in jail in Chatham County under a $1 million bond and will be transported to Carteret County for trial proceedings.

These arrests come after an investigation into the death of Riley Goolishian, who was found in her Beaufort home back on May 26 of 2024 unresponsive. Authorities say she died a day later at Carteret Health Care in Morehead City. It was confirmed her cause of death was fentanyl and cocaine toxicity through autopsy and toxicology findings.

The joint investigation determined that both Manning and Milliken sold fentanyl and cocaine to Goolishian the day prior to her being found unresponsive.

The investigating agencies include the Beaufort Police Department, Carteret County Sheriff’s Office and the NC SBI.

Beaufort Police Chief Paul Burdette stated, “This case represents a coordinated effort by multiple law enforcement agencies to bring justice in the face of a heartbreaking loss. We remain committed to pursuing those who distribute dangerous and illegal substances in our communities.”

Bringing Attention to the Worst Drug Crisis in US History (Fentanyl Awareness Message For Youth)

Imagine if your child went to sleep tonight, never to wake up in the morning. If you can’t, then share this video message.

SAVE A LIFE. The time is NOW. “Fentanyl, which is often hidden in counterfeit pills, is fueling the worst drug crisis in U.S. history. Last year the synthetic opioid killed more than 70,000 Americans.” -60 Minutes on CBS

Just Two Questions has created this video to tell Wilson Moore’s story and raise awareness of the risks of counterfeit pills in America.

Naloxone distribution efforts help fight opioid crisis in NC

Watch the video and read the article on the WRAL TV5 News website.

Naloxone is now widely carried by first responders and police. Distribution efforts have also helped make the medication available to community partners.

Naloxone has quickly become a central part of harm reduction efforts nationally and within North Carolina.

The medication comes in two main forms: an injection and nasal spray. Both work to save lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose.

Naloxone is now widely carried by first responders and police. Distribution efforts have also helped make the medication available to community partners.

“Harm reduction is the first line of defense we have. It is the on the ground, in the community response. It is by people with lived experience for people with lived experience,” shared Elyse Powell, executive director of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition.

Efforts to bring naloxone into school systems are also expanding, including in Wake County Schools. School officials tell WRAL News training efforts are underway to prepare for the distribution of the medication to schools this year.

Wake County to take fight against opioid addiction and overdoses to the streets

Read the original article on the News & Observer website (may be behind a pay wall).

Wake County will work with 13 community organizations specializing in naloxone distribution, recovery support, housing services and more to combat the effects of the opioid epidemic. Durham County Sheriff’s Dept.

Lindsey Humphreys has been recovering from opioid addiction for the last five years, she said.

She’s known people in Wake County who have died from opioids because they didn’t have access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdose.

“I decided to be part of the solution and just started to distribute this,” she said. “I have been doing it for the last couple of years in the memory of some of my friends who passed.”

Humphreys is the executive director of Illuminate NC, an organization that helps distribute naloxone in Wake and Vance counties. Illuminate distributes about 300 naloxone units a month, she said.

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Raleigh mother and unborn child’s suspected fentanyl deaths a dark reminder of drug’s pull

Read the original article and watch the video on the WRAL TV5 News website.

Newly-released warrants reveal a Raleigh mother and her unborn baby were among the latest overdose cases as they each died from fentanyl overdoses. The latest data serves as a warning for parents.

Seventeen North Carolinians die from an overdose each day.

It’s part of a troubling trend in our state.

Newly released warrants reveal a Raleigh mother and her unborn baby were among the latest cases as they each died from fentanyl overdoses. The latest data serves as a warning for parents.

Barbara Walsh knows the danger of fentanyl, a toxic poison her daughter died from unintentionally in August of 2021.

“Basically, you have a murder with no weapon,” Walsh said. “Fentanyl puts someone to sleep like a dog.”

Sophia drank what she thought was water in a bottle – except it was laced.

“This young woman was 24 years old, Apex High School grad, Appalachian State grad, professionally employed,” said Walsh.

A new search warrant issued by Raleigh police describes a recent suspected fentanyl death of a mother and her unborn child. It happened at an apartment in southeast Raleigh.

Police responded to a woman in cardiac arrest on Aug. 14.

A man inside the apartment told police that she took fentanyl and that he last saw her watching a movie on her phone about an hour earlier before finding her unresponsive.

Wake County EMS administered Narcan, a drug that reverses the symptoms of an opioid overdose.

But the mother and her unborn baby died.

“We are seeing about 3,600 per year die, every year it’s getting larger until this year,” Walsh said.

According to the office of the state medical examiner, there were 193 fentanyl positive deaths in May alone in North Carolina.

Despite that, yearly data is showing a downward trend. There were 3,354 fentanyl deaths in 2022, 3,341 in 2023 and 1,008 so far in 2024.

With this week being International Overdose Awareness Week, she’s hopeful parents can continue to educate their children about the dangers of fentanyl – an odorless, tasteless drug.

“Right now, 7 out of 10 pills not from a pharmacist contain fentanyl,” Walsh said. “Most people don’t know it’s in their pill, a vape or a drink.”

A new law bans ‘gas station heroin’ in NC. Why is it still on shelves?

Read the original article and watch the video on WRAL.com.

Health officials and lawmakers have warned consumers about the opioid-like effects of tianeptine. But stores are technically still allowed to continue the sale of the drug — for now.
Gov. Roy Cooper this month signed into law a bill banning the substance known as “gas station heroin.” But the drug is still sitting on shelves around the region.

That’s because North Carolina’s law doesn’t go into effect until Dec. 1. In the meantime, stores are technically still allowed to continue the sale of tianeptine.

Health officials and lawmakers have warned consumers about the opioid-like effects of tianeptine, which, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been tied to serious health risks and deaths across the country.

In 2020, there were 151 poison control center cases involving tianeptine, according to the FDA. That’s up from just 11 total from 2000 to 2013.

Concern over the drug led to a rare bipartisan effort to ban the product in North Carolina. Lawmakers in June overwhelmingly voted to approve the removal of tianeptine from store shelves. Cooper signed the bill this month, joining at least nine other states — including border states Tennessee and Georgia — that have passed similar bans.

NC schools should have naloxone, train staff on signs of drug abuse, student group says

Read the original article on the WRAL News5 website.

The State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council drafted model legislation to address a problem they’re seeing among classmates.

Some North Carolina students want to do something about rising drug use and mental health issues among young people.

On Thursday, a student group told the State Board of Education that schools should have wellness teams to help intervene when they see problems.

Sarah Beitar, a member of the State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, said she knows someone at her Harnett County high school who overdosed.

“We have freshmen, so children as young as 14 and 15, having to deal with these topics of overdose and making sure that they’re being safe,” she said.