24-year-old charged with murder in connection to fentanyl overdose death

SMITH COUNTY, Texas ( KETK ) – A Smith County man accused of selling fentanyl-laced pills was charged with the murder of a 23-year-old overdose victim.

23-year-old Cory Darell Long died at a Tyler emergency room due to an overdose on April 17. When investigators went to Byrd Lane where the overdose occurred, they recovered pills marked M-30 which are known to contain fentanyl. The Texas DPS Crime Lab later confirmed the pills tested positive for fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine. A lethal dose can be as small as a grain.

“There’s no quality control when they make these fentanyl-laced pills,” Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at a press conference on Thursday.

Nadarius Tyreque Houston, 24 of Tyler, was arrested in April for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was taken to the Smith County Jail on April 25.

Long’s autopsy determined that he died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl, or fentanyl poisoning. According to Smith, it took several months to get the toxicology report, which is why the murder charge was delayed.

“Mr. Houston is an unlucky soul because he’ll be prosecuted and he’ll be made an example of,” Smith said.

On Tuesday, authorities got an arrest affidavit for murder for Houston with a bond of $500,000. Houston, who was already in jail, had the charge added to his others.

“We’re sick of seeing it, we’re sick of getting these calls of overdose,” Smith said.

Previously, Smith has sounded the alarm on the flow of illegal drugs from Mexico into the U.S., calling it an “epidemic.”

“Until the border is closed, and even when it is closed, it will be very hard to stop fentanyl from coming over,” Smith said.

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