A young man who allegedly snorted fentanyl-laced pills with a teen is facing drug charges after the latter’s death.
Chance Stovall, a 17-year-old junior at Wylie East High School, was rushed to Children’s Hospital in Dallas on January 30 after overdosing on fentanyl-laced pills. His father, Robbie Stovall, told Fox 4 KDFW that his son had snuck out of the house that evening, leaving him blindsided when two police officers knocked at his door at 5 a.m. and delivered the tragic news.
“As a parent, you have to give them a little bit of space so they can learn things on their own. You know what I’m saying,” Stovall said. “Unfortunately, this one, this lesson cost him his life.”
Chance had reportedly met with 21-year-old Connor Miller, and together, they had purchased $40 worth of pills from a dealer in Dallas. Returning to Miller’s home in Richardson, they both allegedly snorted the crushed-up pills. Miller maintains that he fell asleep but later woke up to find Chance unconscious on the bedroom floor. Chance eventually died at the hospital.
Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that kills around five Texans each day, as previously covered in The Dallas Express. Approximately every 7 in 10 fentanyl-laced pills contain a potentially fatal dose — just 2 milligrams.
Miller, who allegedly told investigators that he had begun abusing Percocet at the age of 17, struggled with addiction and was attending Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Officers reportedly found a note left in his bedroom addressed to his loved ones in the event of a fatal overdose.
“If anything happens to me, I love you… and I thank y’all for all the chances,” the note read, according to Fox 4. “I’m sorry I did this. It was not on purpose… give info for funeral… will give it to the people I was in rehab with. I loved all of them. Love, Connor.”
Miller faces drug charges, including conspiracy and drug distribution. Additionally, an investigation has been opened to track down his supplier.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, Texas authorities have launched an aggressive effort to curb fentanyl-related deaths through awareness-building campaigns and more.
Lawmakers passed the so-called Tucker’s Law last year, allowing prosecutors to pursue producers or distributors of fentanyl for murder charges in the case of a fatal overdose. As reported in The Dallas Express, the measure has already led to several murder charges being handed out in North Texas.
In Dallas, reports of drug crime had already grown year-over-year by 5.1% as of February 13, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. In Downtown Dallas, the rates of drug crime and more have consistently surpassed those clocked in neighboring Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a dedicated police unit and private security officers.
The Dallas Police Department has been grappling with staffing issues, with just 3,000 officers fielded despite a City report recommending a force of 4,000 to ensure public safety adequately. Dallas City Council also opted to budget just $654 million for police operations this year, significantly less than spending in other high-crime jurisdictions like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
