Georgetown County inmates who overdosed had fentanyl in their systems, sheriff’s office says
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Blood testing done after two inmates overdosed at the Georgetown County Detention Center showed showed the presence of fentanyl, Sheriff Carter Weaver’s Office said Thursday afternoon.
Shelby Ashby 23, and Alecia Childers, 34, were found unresponsive in their cells on Friday. Weaver’s office said Thursday that Ashby died and Childers was treated at hospital and released. Earlier in the week, the sheriff’s office clarified Tuesday afternoon that Ashby was being kept on life support so her organs could be donated.
The women were allegedly given the drugs by Kelly Lambert, 45, of Andrews, who has been charged with bringing a controlled substance into a facility and possession of contraband, Weaver’s office said. At the time Ashby and Childers overdosed, Lambert was serving a sentence on weekends for a traffic charge.
The incident prompted Weaver to immediately launch a criminal probe to determine how contraband and illicit drugs were brought into the jail and “to hold any and all persons responsible in this matter.”
Weaver’s office said Thursday that the toxicology reports “will help guide the course of the continuing multi-agency investigation into the incident.”
Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
