This week, at least two people were arrested on “fentanyl murder” charges established by a recently passed law in Texas. One of them was a 26-year-old man being held at the Montgomery County Jail.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 6 into law last June and it went into effect in September. It created a criminal offense of murder for supplying fentanyl that results in death and enhanced the criminal penalty for the manufacturing or delivery of fentanyl. Now, deaths caused by fentanyl are designated as fentanyl toxicity or fentanyl poisoning on a death certificate in Texas.
“Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, and younger Texans, like me, are especially vulnerable,” said student advocate Mitchell quoted in a press release from the governor. “Many students have never even heard about fentanyl or its deadly effects. There is a critical need to increase awareness and expand education on the dangers of fentanyl in our schools. Over 5.4 million Texas public school students depend on it. Thanks to Governor Abbott and members of the legislature, Texas is fixing that today.”
CBS News reported this week that the arrest of 45-year-old Ryan Michelle Warner in Denton marked the fourth fentanyl murder charge in that city alone since the law kicked in.
She was arrested Tuesday, the same day as the man in Montgomery County, identified as Keian Alexander Cormier of Spring, Texas, by the sheriff’s office. Authorities said Cormier provided fentanyl to a 21-year-old man who was found dead at a residence in Willis, Texas. The Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MOCONET), a Houston High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force that includes the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, worked on the case.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. In recent years, it has contributed to rising fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.
“Overall, drug overdose deaths rose from 2019 to 2022 with 107,941 drug overdose deaths reported in 2022,” said the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 73,838 overdose deaths reported in 2022.”
In April, Audacy reported on the investigation into the death of an 8-year-old child determined to be caused by fentanyl. The drug has also made national headlines this week for two cases of allegedly intentional fentanyl poisoning.
Kouri Richins, a Utah mother, has been accused of murdering her husband by mixing a lethal dose of fentanyl with his cocktail. ABC News reported this week that she is claiming innocence from jail. KTLA also reported on a California plumber who is accused of poisoning an elderly customer with fentanyl.