MS man sold fentanyl that killed a man. Now, he’s headed to prison.
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- Judge sentenced South MS man to 40 years for fentanyl sale causing death.
- Prosecutors believe it’s he first successful prosecution under Mississippi’s Parker’s Law.
- Authorities linked Jarrell to fatal overdose using witness testimony and evidence.
Pearl River County Circuit Judge Brad Tochstone sentenced a Picayune man to 40 years in prison for delivering the life-threatening drug, fentanyl, to someone who overdosed and died as a result, along with other drug-related offenses.
The prosecution of Derek Jarrell, 44, of Picayune, last week, is believed to be the first fentanyl-related drug death case prosecuted in Mississippi under Parker’s Law, Pearl River County District Attorney Hal Kittrell said in a release. Assistant district attorneys Christina Holcomb and Beau Stewart prosecuted the case.
Parker’s Law targets drug dealers who deliver or sell fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drugs to people who overdose and die as a result of using those drugs. Parker’s law is named after Parker Rodenbaugh, a Mississippi College student who died of a fentanyl drug overdose in 2014.
In Jarrell’s case, he sold the drug last November to Steve Sanchez, who then died of a fentanyl overdose, according to to Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage.
Pearl River County sheriff’s deputies and agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case. During that investigation, authorities identified Jarrell as the drug supplier. Before he was taken into custody, authorities said Jarrell tried to hide additional fentanyl he had on him by swallowing a portion of it.
Jarrell had previously been charged with other narcotics offenses by the Picayune Police Department and also pleaded guilty to those charges.
Why Parker’s Law cases are hard to prosecute
According to Kittrell, the prosecution of cases under Parker’s Law are difficult to pursue because “authorities must develop compelling proof that a defendant sold fentanyl for something of value with knowledge that what he sold was fentanyl and that he knew that death to a person results from the proximate cause of injection, oral ingestion, or inhalation of the fentanyl.”
“Fentanyl is an especially dangerous drug because of its lethality in small doses and because it is often substituted for other substances, resulting in a terribly high number of deaths associated with its use,” Kittrell said. “Even more troubling, we are starting to see an increase in people who are intentionally seeking out fentanyl as a drug of choice. Hopefully, this conviction will raise public awareness and serve as a deterrent to others..”
The district attorney commended the prosecutors, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department, Picayune police, and agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the coroner, and others for their efforts that made the successful prosecution possible.
“This conviction marks a major milestone in our state’s efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis,” said Sean Tindell, commissioner of the Misissippi Department of Public Safety.
“Parker’s Law was designed to hold drug dealers accountable for the lives lost to this deadly substance, and this case sends a strong message: if you knowingly sell fentanyl that kills someone, you will face serious consequences.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 4:43 PM.
