Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong and Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond announced today the Blount County Grand Jury returned two indictments for second degree murder on a Maryville man who provided opioids to a man who died of an overdose in September.

This is the first time a Blount County Grand Jury has successfully indicted an individual utilizing a law that the Tennessee General Assembly passed in 2018 that allows for someone to be charged with second degree murder if a victim dies as a result of an unlawful distribution of any scheduled I or II drug and that drug is the cause of the death of the user.

The Grand Jury returned two indictments for second degree murder on Joseph Sylvester O’Connor, 40, of Lanier Road, Maryville on Monday. In addition to two counts of second degree murder, O’Connor is in custody on charges that include possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, two counts of delivery of a Schedule I controlled substance, and multiple counts of failure to appear in court on various drug and weapons charges. He is being held on bonds totaling $1.153 million pending hearings in Blount County General Sessions and Circuit courts on August 14, 2023.

Investigators with the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force launched an inquiry into the overdose death of Taylor Morgan, 28, that occurred September 22, 2022. Following a lengthy investigation that included findings of the autopsy performed on Morgan, investigators determined that O’Connor provided Morgan with the fentanyl and acetylfentanyl that led to his death in September.

“I am grateful for these indictments,” Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said. “Though Mr. Morgan’s death is tragic, I concur with the Blount County Grand Jury in their decision to return true bills for second degree murder against Mr. O’Connor. Mr. Morgan’s death was not in vain, and I hope that those who are pushing these lethal opioids will continue to be held accountable when an overdose death occurs. Fentanyl and heroin have not only ruined a lot of lives, but it has also changed the lives of many families forever. It’s time we as a community hold those individuals accountable who are responsible for these deaths.”

So far in 2023, Blount County law enforcement has worked 146 overdose cases resulting in 31 deaths. In 2022, there were 261 reported overdoses resulting in 52 deaths.

“The Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force continues to do an incredible job in taking the fight to criminal actors who attempt to traffic deadly drugs in our community,” Attorney General Ryan Desmond said. “The Blount County District Attorney’s Office is committed to our partnership with law enforcement through the DTF, and because of their hard work and thorough investigation, we can and will use the full force of the law to ensure these types of cases carry the most severe of consequences.”