Mom’s warning after daughter dies from fentanyl

Melissa Moon
·2 min read
4

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A day before her daughter’s funeral, a Cordova mother is warning others about the dangers of fentanyl.

Last week, Tracy Marlar, 35, was found dead inside a car in Jonesboro, Arkansas, from a drug overdose.

Jonesboro police said Marlar bought oxycodone laced with Fentanyl from Randy Joe Coaker, 38, of Jonesboro. Coaker is facing a new Arkansas charge of death by delivery.

Police said Coaker waited two hours before calling police and told officers he was not with Marlar when she overdosed.

A witness told police they were both in the car with Marlar, and she saw Coaker remove green and blue “rock candy” from Marlar’s purse before he called 911.

“I’m really hoping they will get the other people in the car with her because they didn’t do anything to save her,” said Craig. “They didn’t even try to get her any help, they didn’t call for any help.”

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Craig said her daughter had recently lost her job as a technologist for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and was also dealing with the deaths of her grandmother and her best friend.

She believes that’s why she was buying drugs but had no idea what she was taking.

“I’ve been telling people, please, if you know people who do pills, tell them to stop it because this fentanyl is out there, and it kills people,” said Craig.

Last year, the Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act was signed into law in Arkansas.

It makes trafficking of fentanyl an unclassified felony that carries a penalty of 25 to 60 years or life imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.

Craig said her daughter was friends with Coaker and even helped him settle into a new apartment. Craig said she is hoping Coaker gets the maximum sentence allowed.

“I don’t care if she did pay him the money for the drug. I think he knew it was laced with something, laced with that, and he let her take it,” said Craig.

Coaker had a probable cause hearing on Wednesday and is being held in the Craighead County Jail on a $3 million bond. Jonesboro police said the investigation is ongoing.

Marlar’s relatives have set up a GoFundMe account to cover funeral costs.

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