A 17-year-old high school junior has recently been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance following the death of two of her classmates.
According to Fox 13 Memphis, the girls were discovered in a car outside Fayette-Ware High School in Fayette County, Tennessee at 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, just hours before the school’s graduation. All three of the young women had overdosed, but only the accused survived her visit to the hospital in critical condition.
Investigators found drugs at both the scene of the incident and the suspect’s home after a search warrant was carried out, with preliminary reports indicating that fentanyl was present. Text messages and social media were reportedly used to help uncover evidence, though to what extent is unclear.
Mark Davidson, the district attorney, expressed his concern regarding the spike in overdoses since the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns, saying, “You think you’re getting meth; you think you’re getting coke, or you think you’re getting opioid in a pressed pill. There is a real chance there can be fentanyl in that pill, and you may never know it.”
A vigil was held to honor the two deceased girls, and the 17-year-old suspect was released into family care on the condition that she attend school and counseling, and wear an ankle monitor. The judge described the situation as “a horrible, sad, sad situation.” He also said to the suspect, “You are lucky to be here today. This is something you will never forget.”