In Knoxville, the weight of the law has come down on three individuals facing murder charges tied to drug-related deaths. The indictments, delivered by a Knox County Grand Jury, emerged from the tenacious efforts of the Knoxville Police Department-led Drug Related Death Task Force. Pending charges against Amanda Martin, aged 40, and George Joslin, aged 45, include second-degree murder following the March 2024 death of a 54-year-old woman due to an overdose of methamphetamine and fentanyl, substances they allegedly supplied.
Hunted down at a McCroskey Avenue residence, Joslin's capture followed the grim discovery at the same address last March. Already behind bars on related drug distribution charges, Martin faces the same grim future. In a separate case, Demichael Hines, age 36, has been indicted for second-degree murder tied to the death of an 18-year-old girl at Fountain City's sober living facility back in December 2023.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, Symphony Jones, a 31-year-old individual, had already fallen into the hands of the law in May 2024 regarding the same case. Further probe revealed Hines as the suspected origin of the deadly provision. His arrest was the result of a well-timed traffic stop executed by the KPD's Community Engagement Response Team last Saturday.
Chief Paul Noel, in testament to the task force's unyielding pursuit of justice, emphasized the diligence of his officers in a statement. "These indictments are a product of our officers' resolve to combat the overdose epidemic by holding individuals who recklessly traffic deadly drugs accountable," he declared, imparting a sense of hope that these actions are curbing further losses, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
The Drug Related Death Task Force operates beneath the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA). It is a coalition featuring the Knox County District Attorney General's Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Knox County Regional Forensic Center. This task force aims to not only decrease overdose deaths by prosecuting drug traffickers but also to collect intelligence on the opiate crisis that can aid in national strategic combat against the epidemic.
