2 arrested after South Mississippi man overdoses on fentanyl, authorities say
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- Two men arrested in Saucier under Parker's Law after fatal fentanyl overdose.
- Investigators used forensic evidence and witnesses to link suspects to drugs.
- Parker's Law carries 20-year minimum for distributing drugs causing death.
Two South Mississippi men were arrested this week under a law designed to charge fentanyl dealers after a 35-year-old in Saucier overdosed earlier this month, authorities said.
The victim, who authorities did not identify, overdosed on fentanyl June 7 in the 22000 block of Saucier-Lizana Road. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said Friday it had arrested two men in connection to the overdose: Cameron Michael Coffman, 28, and Christopher Devonte Bunch, 31.
Coffman and Bunch each face a charge of fentanyl death, a felony known as Parker’s Law. The law, which state lawmakers passed in 2022, is intended to prosecute drug dealers who supply narcotics that lead to death. A conviction under the law carries at least 20 years in prison.
Harrison County Narcotics Task Force investigators who responded to the overdose this month used forensic data and witnesses to accuse Coffman and Bunch of supplying fentanyl to the victim, Sheriff Matt Haley said in a news release. The news release said both men “knowingly distributed fentanyl and were aware of the dangers of the drug.”
Coffman and Bunch were arrested Wednesday and are held at the Harrison County jail on $500,000 bonds, according to jail records. The sheriff’s office said investigators used arrest and search warrants at two places in Saucier to take the men into custody.
The sheriff’s office said it expects more arrests as its investigation continues.
Mississippi’s law and others like it around the country have fueled debate as fentanyl became a crisis and state leaders wrestled with how to hold bad actors accountable without making friends and family who fear prosecution less likely to call 911 in overdose emergencies.
Convictions under Parker’s Law appear rare in Mississippi: The state’s latest analysis shows just five convictions since the law took effect.
The law also says anyone who seeks medical help during an overdose should not be prosecuted if they are acting in good faith.
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 9:09 AM.