Man charged with selling fentanyl that killed boy, 16. 'He took that one pill and died.'
PANAMA CITY BEACH — After a 19-month investigation, law enforcement officials say they have solved a fatal fentanyl overdose from 2022.
In a press conference on March 8, Chief JR Talamantez of the Panama City Beach Police Department announced the arrest of Elijah McLeroy, a 22-year-old Bascom resident, on charges of murder and unlawful distribution of fentanyl.
An investigation determined McLeroy provided fentanyl to a 16-year-old boy who was found dead in Panama City Beach on July 22, 2022.
"I tasked our detectives to figure out exactly what happened to this kid," Talamantez said. "It was discovered that our victim was at the beach the night before on the sand at a local gathering. ... McLeroy was selling drugs on the beach. Our victim bought what he thought was a Percocet pill. It turned out to be pill-pressed fentanyl.
"He took that one pill and died."
A press release from the Beach Police states McLeroy moved to Kansas after the incident. He was arrested there on Feb. 27 and is waiting to be extradited to Bay County.
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It should be noted that McLeroy also has a record of distributing fentanyl in Kansas. For Talamantez, this case not only proves the dangers of purchasing illegal drugs, but just how harmful fentanyl is.
"I cannot stress ... how dangerous this drug is," Talamantez said. "We are committed as an agency to identifying every single individual who is responsible for dealing illicit drugs, especially to our kids, and hold them responsible."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Beach Police announce arrest connected to fatal fentanyl overdose
