A 35-year-old man, Zachary Newton, has been indicted on multiple charges, including second-degree murder, related to an investigation conducted by the Knoxville Police Department's Drug Related Death Task Force after a 31-year-old woman fatally overdosed in July of 2024. The Knoxville Police Department reports that Newton, who shared a romantic involvement with the deceased, is accused of providing her with the drugs believed to have caused her death.
The same investigation also implicated Newton in charges of fentanyl and cocaine sale and delivery and evidence tampering this comes in the wake of an incident at an apartment on Asheville Highway; Newton was apprehended at a rehab facility on Kim Watt Drive on Monday, June 9. In a separate event earlier in the year, unrelated to the overdose case, Newton faced aggravated assault charges following a domestic dispute involving another woman, found in lawful circumstances at his Compton Street residence.
Police executed a search warrant at Newton's home subsequent to his arrest on assault charges. Law enforcement officials uncovered a substantial cache of narcotics including more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, over 10 grams of fentanyl, and an arsenal of five firearms, as disclosed by the Knoxville Police Department. These discoveries are expected to lead to further charges as detectives continue their meticulous investigation into the full extent of Newton's criminal activities.
