Parents of Nikki Overton speak on dangers of fentanyl use

TEKOA - The parents of a victim of fatal fentanyl and oxycodone overdose back in May, Nikki Overton, 22, seek to bring awareness to the fentanyl epidemic that is sweeping not only the cities, but small towns as well.

Phil and Laurie Overton want to bring to light that the crisis is real, "you think it's a safe community for your kids," Mr. Overton said, noting that his daughter was a three sport athlete, had showed hogs at the Whitman County fair since the fourth grade, and raised money for children's cancer several times.

"There's no stereotypical addict," he said, noting that people think they're safe living in a small town, "this poison is everywhere unfortunately."

The Overton's were satisfied with the verdict, and the sentence of Amber Kelly, the woman who had sold Overton the drugs, "Libey did a good job of it," Mrs. Overton said, noting that he gave a sentence for what he could prove.

"A jury found her guilty of two counts of a controlled substance," said Prosecuting Attorney of the case, Wendy Lierman, "one being fentanyl and one being hydrocodone."

Lierman explained that one of the decisions that went into not filing the controlled substance was having difficulty proving without a doubt that the fentanyl alone had caused Overton's death.

Sheriff Brett Myers commented that in this particular case there wasn't enough proof to show the drugs Kelly had delivered had been everything Overton overdosed on, "I think that she got an appropriate charge," he added.

"What we really want to do is find a way that people don't use these substances," Myers said.

The Overton's agree that the word needs to be spread to surrounding communities about the use of fentanyl, "It's so easy to get plenty of them. Sometimes they know what they're getting, and sometimes they have no idea," Mrs. Overton said, noting that her daughter was a loyal and wonderful family member and friend, "For her my goal is to spread the word about Fentanyl poison. If we can save another family from going through this horrible pain she would be ok with that."

In a case called State v. Blake February 2021 the Supreme Court ruled that there was no state law making simple possession of drugs a crime unless the legislature re-criminalized it.

"It made it to where if an illegal drug is knowingly possessed it's considered a misdemeanor, and no files can be charged until the third arrest," Myers said.

Myers explained that the legislature decided that unless law enforcement could show someone was trafficking or delivering drugs they couldn't be arrested, but had to be provided information about counseling.

"We're not in favor of any of these drug laws that are coming in," Myers said of the Whitman County Sheriff's Office.

"That's a poor choice for any drug honestly," Mr. Overton said, when the Blake Decision was described, "The person who sold them to Nikki was a small-time dealer," he added it needs to be a zero tolerance thing. "All these dealers know they can do it. There is no accountability, because of our government," he said, "She knew she was going to get away with it."

Mrs. Overton stated that if they did catch someone with pills they're not doing the person any favors by letting them go, "I would prefer that my daughter was in jail instead of in the cemetery," she said, "The penalties need to get harsher."

"Until those laws are changed, we really have to crack down on drug use," said Myers, "Fentanyl is a scourge on our nation," adding that all drugs that are illegal should have no tolerance at all. "It's not that we want to put drug dealers in jail, but we want to get them help."

Mrs. Overton noted that the coroner had explained to them when they cleared out her daughter's apartment they had to wear gloves, "It is so deadly that even if you absorb it through your skin it can kill you," she said.

The Overtons are thankful to the District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Department, Tekoa, and the surrounding area in general, "there were over 300 people at Nikki's service," Mrs. Overton said, "she was very loved, and we have felt very loved and supported through all of this. We just want to say thank you."

More than anything the Overtons want to encourage parents in the surrounding areas to talk to their kids about fentanyl and drug use.

"Even if they think, oh my kid wouldn't do that, you'd never know. Nikki died in Tekoa," Mrs. Overton said, "It's not only in the big cities, it's everywhere," adding that she knows of kids from the area who died from fentanyl poisoning, including one from Liberty that came to her open gyms.

"It has impacted so many people," she said, "It only takes one pill to kill."