Three dead in Walker County following fentanyl overdose

Sheriff Steve Wilson advises community to take caution; report drug seller

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Monday afternoon, the Walker County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that three people in the Kensington community passed away from a fentanyl overdose.

Sheriff Steve Wilson then addressed his community promoting safety, saying that too many lives have already been lost to the drug.

Wilson identified the deceased as Carla Joann Quillen, Donald Ray Wallin and Kevin Leroy Walker.

While marijuana, methamphetamines, and dried mushrooms were also found at the scene, the sheriff says “the most likely cause” of their deaths was fentanyl exposure.

“You can preach and hammer home all day long about how dangerous this drug is,” Wilson said. “But unfortunately, the person that’s addicted to these drugs won’t listen to you or the mind. Addiction overcomes the mind, I guess would be the best way to put it.”

The department says that even a two-milligram dose of fentanyl is enough to be fatal to its user.

To the surrounding community, Wilson is asking for anyone with information on the fatal provider to come forward.

“We’re asking today if the public, anyone out there knows of who may have sold the drug to these individuals, who provided the drug to these individuals to certainly reach out to walkerso.com,” Wilson said. “You can submit an anonymous tip there.”

Jennifer Jenkins of locally based Unified in Recovery says the ongoing deaths need to stop.

She and her nonprofit are providing aid, Narcan, and fentanyl test strips specifically where addicts need to be met in an effort to fight back against fatal fentanyl.

“A lot of people say, ‘oh, well they’re doing drugs,'” Jenkins said. “Well, they’re not trying to do that drug. Unfortunately, a lot of the product is now laced with fentanyl, so they’re losing their life unintentionally.”