On September 3, 2025, my boyfriend of 24 years was sold pills that were laced with fentanyl and carfentanyl. Tragically, he was found dead the next day on September 4th, with the cause of death confirmed to be fentanyl poisoning. This devastating loss has not only shattered my life but also highlights a significant legal gap in Kentucky's justice system. Kenny was an amazing mechanic when he was clean! 

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, up to 50 times more potent than heroin, and carfentanyl is even more lethal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that fentanyl is a leading factor in the current drug overdose crisis in the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) adds that fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed, underlining a burgeoning public health emergency.

In Kentucky, current laws fail to sufficiently hold drug dealers accountable for the fatal consequences of distributing substances tainted with fentanyl. While other states have enacted legislation charging drug dealers with murder for fentanyl-related deaths, Kentucky remains behind.

Our goal is to push for legislative reform in Kentucky that mirrors those in states like Florida and Ohio, where drug dealers whose products result in fatal overdoses are charged with murder. By implementing such laws, we can ensure justice for families who have lost loved ones to this crisis and deter others from distributing these deadly drugs.

We urge the Kentucky lawmakers to introduce and pass laws that recognize the dire circumstances and facilitate the prosecution of drug dealers whose actions lead to death. Tougher penalties are paramount in our fight against the opioid epidemic that is ravaging our communities.

Sign this petition to demand justice and bring about necessary legislative change in Kentucky. Together, we can strive for a safer community and a stronger legal stance against those who exploit and endanger lives through fentanyl distribution. The drug dealer who sold him the fentanyl laced drugs that killed him was pulled over and locked up for possession of fentanyl/carfentanyl, heroin, marijuana and a stolen gun and illegal ammunition. He was jailed for 5 days and did 2 days on home incarceration! He goes back to court in February but is walking the streets free while all I have is an urn! I know my boyfriend chose to do/buy drugs but he didn’t ask to die! I lost my best friend and he gets to walk free, enjoy his family and probably continues to sell drugs!