It began with a frantic attempt to revive someone who had stopped breathing — and ended with investigators sealing off a bedroom and launching a fatal overdose probe.
According to a report from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched after a caller reported a possible overdose inside a residence. When deputies arrived, Emergency Medical Services were already on scene performing life-saving measures on an adult male.
A woman at the residence told deputies she found the man slumped over in a small bedroom area with a hypodermic syringe still in his arm and a belt tied around his limb, being used as a tourniquet. She said she moved him onto a bed, removed the syringe, and attempted CPR after administering nasal Narcan, but he did not respond and had no pulse.
With help from a family member, she dragged the man into the hallway in an effort to perform resuscitation while waiting for EMS.
Medics continued advanced life-saving efforts and transported the man to the hospital. Deputies were later notified that he had been pronounced deceased.
Inside the room where the man was initially found, deputies documented what appeared to be drug-related evidence, including a white powdery substance on a glass tray, a knife, hypodermic syringes, and straws with residue consistent with narcotics use. A belt believed to have been used as a tourniquet was also located nearby. All items were photographed.
Due to the severity of the incident and the likelihood of a fatal outcome, the Drug Task Force was notified. Investigators responded to process the scene, document evidence, and speak with those present at the residence.
The woman told investigators she believed she knew where the drugs had been obtained and provided phone information and additional names connected to alleged narcotics activity. That information was documented as part of the investigation.
Because the case was classified as a fatal overdose, investigators seized a cellphone as evidence. Deputies said the State intends to pursue charges against individuals believed to have supplied the illegal substances.
Once evidence was collected, the scene was cleared, and the case was forwarded to detectives and the Drug Task Force for continued investigation.
Fatal overdose cases often shift quickly from medical emergency to criminal investigation — a sobering reminder that every call like this leaves families shattered and puts law enforcement back on the trail of whoever brought the drugs to the door.
