William Edward Martin
Federal prosecutors have charged three more people in connection with a 19-year-old Arnold woman’s reported overdose death in June outside the Walgreens pharmacy, 3937 Vogel Road, in Arnold. Two of them allegedly supplied drugs to William Edward Martin, 21, of St. Louis, who previously was charged with selling fentanyl to the teenager, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
Steven “Lemon” Littler, 33; Jacqueline Williamson, 33; and Tanisha Payne, 22, were charged Oct. 5 in connection to the teen’s death. All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges in the U.S. District Court of Missouri in St. Louis, court records show.
Littler pleaded not guilty on Oct. 6 to charges of distribution of fentanyl with a resulting death and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, according to court documents.
Williamson pleaded not guilty on Oct. 11 to charges of distribution of fentanyl with a resulting death, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, court papers indicate.
Payne pleaded not guilty on Oct. 13 to charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to court records.
Martin, who was initially charged with one count of distributing a controlled substance, pleaded not guilty on Oct. 11 to charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl with a resulting death, distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court documents.
The death resulting charge is punishable by 20 years to life in prison, and the fentanyl conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities have not released the name of the 19-year-old who reportedly got the fentanyl from Martin and died after using it. The teen reportedly had previously been in a relationship with Martin, court papers said.
When the teen did not return home after allegedly meeting with Martin, her father began searching for her and found her body early June 24 in her car parked outside the Arnold Walgreens.
The charging documents state that video surveillance showed Martin and the victim meet in the parking lot on June 23, each driving a different car. The victim reportedly got out of the Impala she drove there and got into the BMW Martin arrived in. A short time later, Martin allegedly could be seen dragging the victim from the BMW, putting her in the backseat of the Impala and then driving away.
“It was clear from the surveillance footage that (the victim) was incapacitated and in medical distress,” the report said.
Investigators learned from St. Louis County Police that Martin already was wanted for first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon stemming from an incident a few days earlier when he allegedly shot his roommate, wounding him. After he was charged in that case, he allegedly fled from area police several times, the report said.
On June 29, Arnold Police located the BMW Martin was known to drive. At the time he was driving the car, and his current girlfriend was a passenger, and when Arnold Police tried to stop Martin, he allegedly fled, according to the report.
A short time later, though, police spotted the car again, and at that point the girlfriend was driving it and Martin no longer was inside. The woman gave police consent to search the car, and officers found a safe inside, which the girlfriend reportedly said the safe belonged to Martin. Police allegedly found fentanyl, LSD, mushrooms, controlled pharmaceuticals and drug paraphernalia and other drug-related items in the safe.
The girlfriend told police she reportedly received several text messages from Martin, who said he was considering harming himself. She said Martin had a pistol in his possession, so police “pinged” Martin’s cell phone and found him behind a nearby Schnuck’s store and took him into custody. He allegedly was found with a loaded pistol, according to the report.
Arnold Police and a DEA agent interviewed Martin, and he reportedly admitted to previously shooting his roommate in St. Louis County with the pistol police found on him. He also allegedly admitted that the safe and drugs found in the BMW belonged to him and told police he was a daily fentanyl user and regularly sold it to at least two people to support his drug habit, the report said.
Martin also eventually admitted to selling the drug to the teen who died. He also said they both used fentanyl while they were in the BMW, and then he noticed her “nodding off,” got scared and dragged her back to the Impala and put her in the backseat before leaving, according to the report.