Anderson man found guilty of dealing heroin resulting in death

ANDERSON, Ind. — An Anderson man was found guilty this week of dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death as he waits to receive his sentence next month.

According to the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office, a jury convicted 30-year-old Jason DeWayne Smith on Wednesday after finding him guilty of supplying the drugs that led to the fatal overdose of 48-year-old Melinda Chanley. The two-day trial also ended with Smith being charged as a habitual offender.

On Nov. 3, 2019, Anderson Police Department officers were called to a residence on Arbor Drive in Anderson on the report of an overdose. Court documents and previous reports indicate that the officers found Chanley’s body alongside a spoon with brown liquid residue, an empty syringe and a lighter. A toxicology report also indicated both heroin and fentanyl were found in Chanley’s blood.

Following an investigation, police discovered that Chanley met with an individual for the purchase of heroin, known as “Freaky”, on the day of her death. Freaky was later identified to be Smith, MCPO said.

A jury trial found Smith guilty on Wednesday. Smith is set to be sentenced in Madison Circuit Court 6 on Aug. 14, where he faces a maximum sentence of 60 years behind bars.

In 2018, the Indiana General Assembly passed the Dealing in a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death statute . This is a bill that cracks down on dealers who sell drugs that result in fatal overdoses.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.