JACKSON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – Two people are facing drug charges after a man was found dead in his home from what authorities believe was an overdose.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call of a deceased person on Grasslick Road in Ripley. Deputies say when they arrived at the scene, they saw the deceased man lying on a bed.
A criminal complaint states that deputies found “numerous items that are consistent with drug use” when they searched the home and believed the man had died of an overdose. While searching the room, they found the man had had Facebook open on a computer and had allegedly planned to receive a controlled substance from another man, identified as Cristopher Withrow, 36, of Ripley, and had allegedly coordinated the delivery through Withrow’s girlfriend, identified as Brittany Barker, 31, of Ripley.
Deputies say while on the way to Barker and Withrow’s home, they saw Withrow out walking and detained him for questioning. Barker was detained at the home, authorities say.
According to the criminal complaint, while deputies were questioning the suspects, Barker allegedly admitted to conspiring in the drug delivery and Withrow allegedly admitted to giving the man who died a “a small amount of white powder” that he allegedly told deputies he believed was fentanyl on on June 22, 2022, in exchange for a ride to Kanawha County.
Withrow and Barker each face one charge of Drug Delivery Resulting in Death and one charge of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance.