A call about a possible overdose at a home on FM 82 West in Kirbyville ended with first responders finding someone dead inside, and deputies say the scene also turned up narcotics and weapons that led to two arrests. Joshua Lowery, 41, and Matthew Laney, 37, are now facing felony drug charges tied to the discovery, though neither man has been charged in connection with the death itself.
According to fox4beaumont.com, Jasper County Sheriff's Office deputies, investigators, EMS crews and other first responders were dispatched to the overdose call at a residence in the 3000 block of FM 82 West. When they arrived, they found an individual dead. The sheriff's office said it is working to notify the deceased person's next of kin and will not release the person's identity out of respect for the family's privacy, per the outlet's report.
While searching the residence, deputies located narcotics and weapons, leading to the arrest of the two men. Lowery was charged with possession of a controlled substance under Penalty Group 1, a state jail felony. Laney faces two charges: possession of a controlled substance under Penalty Group 1, also a state jail felony, and possession under Penalty Group 2, a third-degree felony. The outlet's report notes the investigation into the death remains ongoing in Jasper County.
Prior Law-Enforcement History
This is not Laney's first brush with Jasper County law enforcement on drug charges. He was previously arrested by Jasper County Sheriff's Office deputies after a traffic stop on FM 82 West in Kirbyville uncovered drugs in his vehicle, according to a KTRE report, which led to a state jail felony drug-possession charge.
Lowery also has a documented history with local authorities. He was jailed in July 2023 after Jasper County deputies apprehended him driving a stolen pickup truck, per a report from BDC Radio.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Chapter 481 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, drug-possession penalties are based on the substance's penalty group and weight, according to Texas DWI Site. Separately, Article 42A.551 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure generally requires mandatory community supervision rather than state jail time for first-time offenders convicted of a state jail felony for Penalty Group 1 possession under one gram, unless they have prior felony convictions, per the Texas District & County Attorneys Association.
Texas law also gives prosecutors a further tool if evidence ties a supplied drug directly to a fatal overdose. Under Texas House Bill 6, signed in June 2023 and effective Sept. 1, prosecutors can charge individuals with murder if they supply or manufacture controlled substances — specifically fentanyl — that result in a fatal overdose, according to Deandra Grant Law. As it stands, however, Lowery and Laney have not been charged in connection with the death found at the FM 82 West residence.
A County Grappling With Drug Enforcement
The case lands in a county where Sheriff Chuck Havard has made methamphetamine enforcement a stated priority, according to 12News.
Statewide, drug poisoning deaths in Texas increased by 68% between 2019 and 2024, standing as the leading cause of injury-related death for Texans aged 24 to 69 in 2023 before an 8.9% annual drop in 2024, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Nationally, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates predicted drug overdose deaths declined by nearly 27% in 2024 compared to 2023, one of the largest single-year drops in recent U.S. history — even as rural counties like Jasper continue to see cases like the one on FM 82 West. Jasper County, home to roughly 33,075 residents with a median household income of $56,723 and a poverty rate exceeding 20%, according to USAFacts.
For now, the sheriff's office has not identified the person found dead, and no charges related to that death have been filed against either man. The investigation remains ongoing, and any decision to pursue additional charges would depend on findings still to come from investigators.
