David Nuttall, a 46-year-old from Deerfield Beach, has been charged with second-degree murder after selling fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a Delray Beach man. The charge follows a 2017 state law allowing drug dealers to be prosecuted for felony murder if their transactions result in fatalities. Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg has vowed to take an aggressive stance against such dealers, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Thomas Collura, who had struggled with substance abuse, died after allegedly purchasing fentanyl from Nuttall. The overdose occurred on August 10 after Collura met Nuttall for the transaction during a Lyft ride. A relative told investigators that Collura had recently been evicted from a halfway house and planned to move to New York, but he never made it.
Collura collapsed in the Lyft vehicle as they approached his residence. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office later identified the substance as fentanyl, along with other drugs in Collura’s system. The Lyft driver recalled Collura collapsing just moments before arriving at his apartment, as reported by CBS12.
Despite efforts to overcome his addiction, Collura died in the backseat of the Lyft. Nuttall, who is in custody without bail, faces charges under the legislation aimed at curbing drug-related deaths.
