The Hillsborough Police Department announced an arrest in a fatal overdose case on Friday afternoon, charging the man who allegedly sold drugs to the deceased.

A release from the department said 36-year-old Walter Wrenn faces a charge of felony death by distribution in connection to a death from May 20 of this year. Wrenn, who is an Efland resident, was already incarcerated in the Orange County Detention Center on unrelated charges when the Hillsborough Police made their arrest.

Walter Wrenn, 36. (Photo via the Hillsborough Police Department.)

Police officers with the town and Orange County Emergency Services responded to a medical call on May 20, according to Friday’s release. Upon arrival to a residence on Summit Drive off North Carolina Highway 86, they found a 35-year-old woman experiencing an opioid overdose. Police said while the first responders attempted lifesaving measures for the woman, they were unsuccessful in reviving her.

The Hillsborough Police Department and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner have worked with the victim’s family in the following months to conduct an investigation for death by distribution charges. Such measures are allowed by North Carolina’s 2019 “Death by Distribution” Act, which allows for the prosecution of those who sell substances to buyers that later overdose from those specific drugs. Hillsborough Police said their investigation ultimately led to the discovery that Wrenn supplied the opioids that led the victim to their death.

Friday’s alert said Hillsborough Police are still searching for information related to the overdose death and opioid distribution. Anyone who may have information is encouraged to contact Investigator Christian Gray by email or phone at 919-296-9541. Anonymous crime tips can be reported by calling 919-296-9555 or by using the See it, Say it, Send it app and website.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Hillsborough Mayor Helps Spread Overdose Awareness After Saving A Life
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell was driving to town on June 10 when he saw someone laying on the ground. Later, he realized it was an overdose.
Police Make Death By Distribution Arrest in Connection to 2023 Carrboro Fatal Overdose
Carrboro Police said regional U.S. marshals arrested 33-year-old David Allen Bonita over the death of 31-year-old Arman Guerra Imani.
UNC Initiative Working to Combat Opioid Epidemic
Nearly 400 North Carolina citizens died from an opioid overdose last year. In 2014, 45 North Carolina counties had overdose death rates higher than the national average of 9 per 100,000. The state continues to exceed this national average, and has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years. There have been efforts to reverse the […]
On Air Today: Nabarun Dasgupta of UNC's Opioid Data Lab on Addressing National Overdose Deaths
UNC epidemiologist and senior scientist Nabarun Dasgupta joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Friday, May 16.
2,500-Person Party Leads to Numerous Calls, Charges for Orange County Property Owner
An Orange County property owner is facing numerous charges after a party on his land attended by more than 2,500 people led to underage, intoxicated revelers wandering through traffic and numerous calls for assistance. Dwight B. Poole, 60, is charged with six counts of aiding and abetting people under the age of 21 to consume […]
A Fatal Car Wreck Led to 10 Alcohol Arrests. But Has Anything Changed for Underage Drinkers at UNC?
A Carolina Connection report dives into how students procure fake IDs to underage drink and Chapel Hill spots where they know they can go.
Mack Brown Shares First Public Comments on 3 UNC Players Facing Underage Drinking Charges
UNC head coach Mack Brown said three football players who face misdemeanor charges in connection to a fatal crash in Chapel Hill will participate in spring practices, but could face “disciplinary action” from the team. In his first media availability since charges were announced by investigating authorities, Brown shared insight into the program’s philosophy around […]
ALE Investigation into Chapel Hill Fatal Crash Leads to Underage Drinking Charges for 7
Seven people face additional charges from ALE, and two Chapel Hill businesses are implicated, after fatal drunk driving crash on January 21.
FDA Approval of Naloxone Could Mean More Access, Less Stigma for Addressing Overdoses
The FDA recently approved naloxone as an over-the-counter drug to help with opioid overdoses. Here's how that could change things on the local level.
Hillsborough Police Charge Efland Man in Overdose Death
The Hillsborough Police Department announced an arrest in a fatal overdose case on Friday afternoon, charging the man who allegedly sold drugs to the deceased. A release from the department said 36-year-old Walter Wrenn faces a charge of felony death by distribution in connection to a death from May 20 of this year. Wrenn, who […]
›