In a significant ruling, Ciana Armour has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for selling fentanyl to a 17-year-old McKinney teen, marking the first murder conviction in Collin County under a new law targeting fentanyl distribution.
The family of the victim, Mitchel Pultz, has expressed relief following the conviction, believing it brings some measure of justice for their son, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
Mitchel Pultz, a high school student with a passion for sports, tragically passed away from a fentanyl overdose in September 2023 after struggling with drug addiction. Despite his family’s efforts to seek help through various counseling and treatment options, Mitchel ultimately purchased a deadly dose of fentanyl from Armour via social media, highlighting the urgent need to address the dangers associated with the drug.
Here is more of the story from Fox:
McKINNEY, Texas – A Collin County family is feeling a sense of peace after the woman who gave their teenage son fentanyl was convicted of murder.
It’s the first murder conviction in Collin County under a new law aimed at targeting people who deal the highly potent drug.
Mitchell Pultz’s Fentanyl Death
The backstory: Lindsay Pultz’s son, Mitchel, died from a fentanyl overdose on Sept. 18, 2023.
The 17-year-old McKinney High School student had a passion for sports. But behind the curtain, he was struggling with a drug addiction.
“To be honest, we didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know where to go. We didn’t know how to get help,” his mother said.
The Pultzs tried counseling, inpatient facilities, and outpatient facilities.
Then one day, Mitchel contacted 20-year-old Ciana Armour through Instagram and purchased what ended up being a lethal dose of fentanyl.
Ciana Armour’s Murder Conviction
What we know: Armour was arrested and charged with murder.
She pleaded guilty to the charge, making her case the first fentanyl murder conviction in Collin County under a new state law.
Prosecutors can pursue murder charges when someone dies as a result of fentanyl distribution.
Armour was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
What they’re saying: This week, Pultz walked out of the Collin County courthouse with a sense of peace.
“The stress has stopped. The constantly checking the status of the case has stopped,” she said.
She admits that she had hoped for a longer sentence, but the plea deal did remove some uncertainty.
“We didn’t have to deal with a trial. We didn’t have to deal with appeals or, being the first case, how is the jury going to look at it or think about it,” she said.