A 27-year-old Vichy man is dead and a St. James man is charged in Phelps County with four felony charges stemming from the death by overdose.

Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman said Austin Davidson-Sutphen of Newark, formerly of St. James was found deceased by a family member from an apparent drug overdose on March 23 in Maries County. The sheriff reported the sheriff’s office worked with the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group (LANEG), and the South Central Drug Task Force to solve the case. 

Officers at the scene of the overdose seized capsules of suspected fentanyl and articles of drug paraphernalia. 

During the investigation, officers succeeded in locating and arresting the person who they suspected distributed the lethal dose to the victim. The alleged distributor, Dennis Stanley, 29, St. James, was found to be in possession of 84 capsules of suspected fentanyl and one ounce of crystal methamphetamine. The sheriff said in an interview with law enforcement, Stanley confessed to supplying Davidson with the suspected fentanyl. 

The Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney has charged Stanley with the class A felony of murder second degree, during perpetration/attempted perpetration/flight from perpetration of a felony, person dies, and three class D felonies of two counts of delivery of controlled substance, and involuntary manslaughter, first degree. 

Stanley currently is being held in the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office Adult Detention Facility on a no bond warrant.

“Just know,” Sheriff Heitman said in a Facebook post. “If you sell drugs to anyone in Maries County we will pursue you with every resource we have available to us.”