On Friday, November 22, 2024, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced that a Duval County jury found 38-year-old Daniel Harold Way guilty of Manslaughter by Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Sale or Delivery of Fentanyl, and Sale or Delivery of Cocaine. Way now faces up to 45 years in Florida State Prison. Sentencing will be determined by the Honorable Anthony Salem at a later date.
The case originated on December 9, 2023, when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Overdose Task Force responded to two suspected drug overdoses in the Pickwick Park neighborhood. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue transported two female victims to the hospital.
A witness at the scene identified Way as his drug dealer, stating Way had delivered fentanyl and cocaine earlier that day. The witness explained that he allowed Way to use his home for a party with the two women in exchange for drugs. The witness remained in the garage while Way stayed inside with the women. According to the witness, Way later called for help, stating that the women had lost consciousness.
When the witness entered the home, he found one of the victims unconscious in a bedroom, alongside a powdery substance. Way reportedly admitted to the witness that he had given the victims the wrong drug.
One of the victims later died in the hospital. Her toxicology report determined the cause of death to be acute fentanyl intoxication, with cocaine listed as a contributing factor. The second victim survived and provided an account of events that corroborated the witness’s statements and refuted Way’s version of the incident.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Joseph Licandro and Paige West.
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