A Columbia woman received a four-year prison sentence Monday for tampering with evidence during a fatal overdose investigation.
Adrian Sumler, born in 2003, entered a guilty plea to the charge, which originated from a Sept. 24, 2023, overdose death, as stated in a news release from the Boone County Prosecutor.
Sumler contacted 911 and asserted that the deceased man had supplied all the drugs. However, an investigation uncovered deleted text messages between the two, including the phrases “can I bring my drugs” and “im bringing them anyways.”
She sent these messages to the victim before their meeting. The man died from a combination of cocaine and fentanyl, according to the news release.
Sumler had been placed on probation in Randolph County just 18 days before the incident for felony drug possession.
The Columbia Police Department and Boone County sheriff’s deputies conducted the overdose investigation, and the Boone County Prosecuting Attorney prosecuted the case.
“All law enforcement agencies take fentanyl deaths very seriously, and significant resources are dedicated to investigating how these deadly substances enter our community,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Wade stated. “We want everyone to have the protection of the Good Samaritan law, but it requires working in good faith with officers and first responders.”
First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Buchanan expressed gratitude to the court for issuing the maximum sentence permitted under law.
“Our office is committed to treatment for users and prison for dealers,” Buchanan stated. “That includes prosecuting those who stymie law enforcement as they attempt to investigate drug deaths.”
Leave a Reply