KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The April overdose death of a Lansing Correctional Facility inmate has been tied to fentanyl, per Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.
Thompson wrote in a letter to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Friday that there is no evidence of how the man, identified as Casey Wallace, acquired the illegal substance.
“There seems to be no evidence of any other cause for his death and his roommates say they had no knowledge of him using any substance,” Thompson said in the letter.
Wallace, an inmate serving time for distribution of marijuana and possession of a firearm, died April 1 after what his inmates reported to be a “normal, routine day.”
Multiple roommates noted seeing Wallace sleeping. But after several hours, one became concerned as they had not heard Wallace snore.
When they went to check on him, “he was cold to the touch.”
At that time, another roommate noticed an open tea bag at the foot of Wallace’s bunk.
“Investigators checking the cell found residue consistent with mixing K2 and dried tea leaves for smoking,” according to Thompson.
Following the death, autopsy and toxicology reports showed Wallace was positive for fentanyl but did not suffer any trauma “other than that associated with CPR.”
“We have been seeing far too many overdoses and deaths due to fentanyl in this community and nationally,” Thompson said in a news release. “This drug is very lethal, even in small doses. It’s a scary threat to our public, and now it’s made it’s way into our prisons.”
No charges were filed in the case since it was determined to be a fentanyl overdose death.
—
