PBC Inmate Overdoses on Fentanyl

An investigation is being conducted after a Palm Beach County inmate died of a fentanyl overdose one week into a jail stay. The same man was set to attend a hearing where a judge would likely reduce the charges against him so that he could be released from jail.

Travis William Fletcher had been charged with aggravated assault. The medical examiner’s report ruled Fletcher’s death an “accident” and noted that they found two puncture holes in Fletcher’s arm.

Meanwhile, Fletcher’s former girlfriend and the mother of his four-year-old son told the press that her boyfriend “hated needles” but drank often. Meanwhile, an attorney for Fletcher’s mother is wondering how these drugs made their way into the jail in the first place.

No Employee on Administrative Leave

While Palm Beach authorities continue to conduct their investigation, they also announced that there are no employees on administrative leave regarding this incident. The fact that drugs make their way into prisons and jails is not in any way a fantastical or shocking parcel of information. However, scrutiny often falls on the guards when overdoses occur because they are the ones tasked with keeping the drugs out of jail.

If someone is found to have given Fletcher the fentanyl, they can be charged with first-degree murder for his death.

There are a number of confusing facts surrounding this case. While the medical examiner discovered puncture wounds in Fletcher’s right arm, there is no indication that they found a needle at the scene. This is strange since Fletcher was found unresponsive in his cell. It seems unlikely that Fletcher would have thought to hide the needle after taking the drugs.

Tragically, Fletcher was about to be released from jail after his bond was reduced from $50,000 to $4,500. His family and lawyers were at the courtroom. But by then, he was already dead.

The Day of the Overdose

A guard was handing out breakfast at 5 a.m. when he noticed that Fletcher had not taken his. Guards attempted to perform CPR, but then called an ambulance. Fletcher was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Inmates overdosing in prison is not uncommon. Inmates dying in jail is not uncommon. The problem that most people are having right now is that the evidence doesn’t appear to match the story that Fletcher got his hands on fentanyl, injected it into his veins, and then died. More likely is that someone else forced Fletcher to inject the drugs into his veins to cause him to die.

If Fletcher was targeted behind bars by another inmate or someone on the outside who wanted him dead, that would explain the evidence. However, it still doesn’t explain how the drugs got into the prison in the first place.

Talk to a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney

If you’ve been charged with a serious crime, call the West Palm Beach criminal attorneys at The Skier Law Firm, P.A. We can help get you a result that you can live with.

Resource:

palmbeachpost.com/news/20200611/inmate-in-pbc-jail-for-six-days-dies-of-fentanyl-overdose-me-says

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