A fentanyl and heroin overdose caused the unexpected death of Guilford County, NC former Chief District Court Judge Tom Jarrell, 56, the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said in an autopsy released Thursday.
The judge was found unresponsive August 3, 2019 on his bedroom floor during a welfare check at his High Point, NC home reports WXII 12 News.
Judge Jarrell had the audacity to try DWI cases when he was a judge, sentencing thousands of people. But Jarrell was secretly doing fentanyl and heroin himself.
Jarrell had a medical history that was significant for atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, but police found a plastic bag with a powdered substance in his pocket, according to the report.
In his bathroom, police found a pocketknife and a piece of paper containing a powdered substance, according to the report. The autopsy found that there was a possible needle puncture in his right arm with dried blood.
There was also 40 milligrams of alcohol in his system, the toxicology report showed.
When appointed as chief district court judge in August 2016, Judge Jarrell saw a need to reduce the backlog of DWI cases on the docket in Guilford County.
Judge Jarrell sought to reduce fatalities involving impaired driving and making North Carolina roads and highways safer, yet Jarrell died using the illegal drugs of heroin and fentanyl.
