Denton man charged with murder in fentanyl poisoning that killed 17-year-old in 2023
An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder in the fentanyl poisoning of a teen from September 2023, Denton police said Tuesday.
On Sept. 25, 2023, officers were dispatched to the 7500 block of Barrymore Road about an overdose.
The victim, who was found unconscious, identified as 17-year-old Ryan Erwin, was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the news release from Denton police.
During the investigation, detectives discovered evidence that Zakkary McReynolds sold fentanyl to the victim on the morning of his death, the release says.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Erwin’s cause of death as combined fentanyl and diphenhydramine toxicity.
On Tuesday, Denton police, the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, and the US Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested McReynolds on a murder warrant without incident in the 700 block of Campbell Lane in Denton.
McReynolds is being held in the City of Denton Jail. His bail has not been set.
This is Denton police’s third fentanyl-murder arrest since the new state law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, which created a criminal offense of murder for supplying fentanyl that results in death.
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 5:33 PM.
