OKC Grandmother Charged In Man's Fentanyl Overdose Death

An Oklahoma City grandmother is charged for the overdose death of a 22-year-old man. The medical examiner ruled Donte Sanders died after using a Fentanyl patch the woman gave him.

The investigation has been on-going since last October. The Oklahoma County District Attorney filed the charge after learning the victim and his girlfriend were partying with the 58-year-old grandmother the night before the death.

Police were called to Brenda Buerger’s Northwest Oklahoma City apartment on Oct. 14, 2017. The victim’s girlfriend, Kylie King, found him unresponsive and called 911.

Court documents reveal, the night before Sanders, King and a group of friends were at Buerger's apartment drinking and smoking marijuana. King told police her grandmother gave Sanders a Fentanyl patch before he went to bed.

“The victim died as a result of an overdose based off the use of the Fentanyl patch,” said Officer Megan Morgan, Oklahoma City Police Department.

The DA released a statement regarding the decision to file a second-degree murder charge against Buerger:

“The State alleges that the defendant, after smoking marijuana with the 22-year-old victim, gave him a Fentanyl patch. The victim was found dead the next morning in the defendant’s home. The medical examiner determined that the Fentanyl killed the victim. The night began with the defendant partying with her granddaughter and the victim; it ended in a senseless murder. Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous narcotic.  It is 100 times more potent than Morphine and 50 times more potent than Heroin. Fentanyl should never be used by or given to anyone who is not under close medical supervision.”

“You don’t ever want to use anybody’s prescription,” said Dani Lynch, pharmacist. “No matter what it is, antibiotics to strong pain medication.”

Fentanyl patches are prescribed for extreme pain. Lynch said it can be lethal alone and even more dangerous mixed with alcohol and other drugs.

“They are all central nervous system and respiratory depressants,” said Lynch. “Mixing all three, you’ve got a problem.”

Police report Buerger has not been arrested yet.