An apparent overdose death has lead to investigators pursuing felony murder charges against two suspects.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, April 10, Butler County Deputy Damion Smith responded to a residence on County Road 526 in reference to an unresponsive male.
“Upon arrival, [it] was apparent the individual had overdosed,” said Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs.
The victim was transported by ambulance to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Further investigations ensued and as a result two people were arrested for providing illegal narcotics and causing the death of the victim, according to law enforcement.
Arrested were Ruthie S. Johnson, 31, of Poplar Bluff and Devlin S. Cooper, 20, of Pocahontas, Arkansas.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Semo Drug Task Force are continuing the investigation at this time.
“Investigators will be requesting formal charges of felony murder on both subjects,” Dobbs said.