Man charged with murder in fentanyl-related death of 16-year-old Leander boy
A Travis County man has been charged with murder in the death of a 16-year-old Leander boy from a fentanyl overdose.
Kreli Haynes, 21, of Jonestown is the second person to face a murder charge in Williamson County because of a new state law that allows a person to be charged with the crime if someone dies through their drug distribution or dealing of fentanyl, said Sheriff Mike Gleason.
The incident occurred when sheriff's deputies were called to the 2500 block of Socorro Bend in Leander on Dec. 16 about an alleged fentanyl overdose, a news release said. They found the body of the victim on arrival, it said.
"During the subsequent investigation authorities gathered evidence linking Kreli Haynes to the sale of fentanyl," the release said. U.S. marshals and Cedar Park police arrested Haynes on Thursday, it said. He is also facing charges of manufacture and delivery of fentanyl and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
More: Austin drug dealer sentenced to 20 years in the fentanyl poisoning death of Coupland teen
The first person to be charged with murder in Williamson County in connection to a fentanyl overdose death was Marek Dillard, 40, of Lockhart. Dillard was charged in February in the death of 40-year-old Remington Allison, 40, who died in September in Leander.
Williamson County authorities have formed a drug task force to combat the fentanyl overdose problem. Thirty-five people in Williamson County, including in its cities, died last year from fentanyl overdoses out of a total of about 57 suspected overdoses, sheriff's Sgt. Heather Vargas has said.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is sometimes prescribed legally for pain management, but it can be fatal when used illegally because even small amounts can kill a person.
More: First person charged with murder in Williamson County because of fentanyl overdose death
Fentanyl, a synthetic drug, is so deadly that just 2 milligrams, equal to about 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is enough to kill somebody, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man charged with murder in fentanyl-related death of Leander boy, 16
