A teenager is being charged with second-degree murder for his role in an overdose death that occurred in February.
Kaity Spaeth, 29, died Feb. 19. Justice Isaiah Anderson, 19, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly providing the drugs which caused her death.
Handling the investigation was McMinnville Police detective Sgt. Stuart Whitman, who says Spaeth died after ingesting fentanyl.
“Last February, I got called in to investigate the death of Kaity Spaeth. She was 29 years old,” said Whitman. “During the investigation, I determined that Justice Anderson did sell fentanyl which made its way to her. She ingested said fentanyl and that’s what caused her death.”
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is considered a controlled substance due to its high risk for addition and dependence. Once ingested, it can cause respiratory distress and death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances.
In Tennessee, a drug dealer can be charged with murder if the illegal substance they sell results in a fatal overdose.
“The people who deal heroin and fentanyl know that they are dealing death,” said Whitman. “They should be held accountable. They know what they are doing.”
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