Man Charged with Death by Distribution in Duplin County Fentanyl Overdose Case
Duplin County authorities have charged a Wallace man in connection with a fatal drug overdose that occurred nearly a year ago. The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office announced that 23-year-old Elijah Robinson has been arrested and charged with death by distribution following an investigation into the March 2024 overdose death of Jacey Newkirk, a resident of Rose Hill.
According to officials, the case began when Newkirk was found deceased, and law enforcement launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her passing. The North Carolina State Medical Examiner’s Office recently confirmed that her cause of death was a fentanyl overdose. This new evidence led to Robinson’s arrest.
Investigators determined that Newkirk had obtained narcotics from Robinson prior to her death. The charge of death by distribution is a serious offense in North Carolina, typically applied when an individual is accused of providing controlled substances that directly result in a fatal overdose. Law enforcement continues to crack down on fentanyl-related overdoses, which have become a growing public health crisis across the country.
Robinson was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Duplin County Jail under a $250,000 secured bond. The case remains under investigation as authorities work to combat the spread of fentanyl and other dangerous opioids in the region.
