Billy Bernard Maddox, Jr.

From Staff Reports

A suspect accused in a deadly fentanyl overdose has been arrested in Tyler after being on the run for over a year.

Tyler Police Department officers and Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on Thursday afternoon in the search for a suspect near the Liberty Arms Apartments in Tyler.

According to the Tyler Police Department, officers were called to assist TDCJ in finding Billy Maddox, 29, who is charged with manslaughter in connection to a 2022 death. The search began around 2 p.m.

Maddox was later arrested at Walnut Grove Mobile Home Park, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. A drone spotted him running on foot, the sheriff’s office said.

Maddox has been wanted since September 2023 after he failed to appear for a court date. He is charged with manslaughter in connection with the fentanyl overdose of Preston Hawley, 17, on April 23, 2022.

An arrest affidavit states Maddox allegedly caused Hawley’s death by providing him with pills or substances the victim didn’t know he was being given. An autopsy revealed the presence of cocaine, fentanyl, delta 9 THC and bromazolam in his system at the time of his death. Police believe he failed to render reasonable aid when it was clear Hawley needed help, failed to call for reasonable aid, and delayed transporting Hawley to a medical facility.

Witnesses told police Maddox was a “known drug dealer to Hawley’s friends,” the document stated.

Maddox was first arrested and indicted in late 2022 on charges of tampering with evidence in relation to the death of Hawley.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the CDC. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.

However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous, according to the CDC.

The U.S. Marshal’s Task Force also assisted in Thursday’s search.