Two charged with second-degree murder in alleged fentanyl overdose

DAYTON — A Dayton man and woman are both facing second-degree murder charges and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance after being indicted by the Rhea County Grand Jury for allegedly selling fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose.

McKayle Paige Morgan and Jesse Luke Mitchel Westlake are facing the charges after the death of McKenzie Lemons in late November 2023.

According to a report on file at the Dayton Police Department, DPD Officer Anthony Thompson was dispatched to a home on Memorial Avenue after a man came home from work to find Lemons unresponsive.

“He advised me that he arrived to the apartment at around 2:40 a.m. and found Ms. Lemons sitting on the bed of her bedroom, slumped over,” Thompson said. “He noticed that Ms. Lemons was not breathing and her body appeared to look as of a blue color.”

Thompson said that investigators with the Dayton Police Department and paramedics with Rhea EMS soon arrived on scene. According to the report, 11 blue pills with “M30” printed on them were found in the home.

“I found 11 pills on her bed, marked ‘M30,’ two pieces of burnt foil and a cut plastic straw lying on the floor along with her cell phone,” DPD Investigator Eric Ewton said. “All these items were collected and placed into evidence.”

Upon investigating Lemons’ phone, Ewton said he found two phone numbers that indicted where Lemons might have purchased the fentanyl.

“Those cell phone numbers were found to possibly be associated with McKayle Paige Morgan and Jesse Luke Mitchel Westlake,” Ewton said.

Westlake was eventually arrested on seperate narcotics charge in late April 2024, Ewton said, and he was able to interview Westlake after his arrest.

“During the interview, he did admit to selling fentanyl to [Lemons] on Nov. 17, 2023, and Nov. 21, 2023, as the text messages on [Lemons’] phone indicate,” Ewton said.

Morgan was also interviewed, and Ewton said that she made similar statements as well.

Both were charged with second-degree murder and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. According to jail records,