District Attorney J. Collin Sims reports that on Thursday (August 27, 2026), a Washington Parish jury returned a guilty verdict in just 30 minutes, finding 43-year-old Derrick Fairley of Angie, Louisiana, guilty as charged of Second Degree Murder and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The verdict was rendered following a trial before the Honorable District Judge Martin Coady. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2026. Fairley faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
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The conviction stems from the fatal overdose of 34-year-old Roxanne Fortenberry on December 15, 2024. Washington Parish Sheriff's Office (WPSO) deputies responded to a residence on Wardline Road where Fortenberry was discovered deceased in her bed. An autopsy and toxicology screening conducted by the Coroner's Office subsequently confirmed that Fortenberry died of a lethal dose of Fentanyl.
A forensic analysis of the victim’s cell phone conducted by WPSO detectives uncovered text messages from December 13, 2024, in which Fortenberry arranged to purchase $100 worth of suspected Heroin from a drug dealer identified as "Dee.” Investigators traced the phone number directly to Fairley, a known narcotics dealer with an extensive criminal history.
On December 16, 2024, undercover officers with the WPSO and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT) utilized the victim's cell phone to set up a controlled drug buy with Fairley. When Fairley arrived at the victim's driveway, law enforcement surrounded the vehicle. As officers activated their emergency lights, Fairley handed a concealed bag of brownish powder to his female passenger, apologizing to her as he instructed her to hide the narcotics. Field tests confirmed the substance contained Fentanyl.
Assistant District Attorneys Iain Dover and Tiffany Dover prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. During closing statements, ADA Iain Dover emphasized the consequences of narcotics trafficking, stating, "The defendant sold the victim a death sentence, and with the money he received, bought himself a life sentence.”
District Attorney Collin Sims commended the actions of law enforcement and the prosecution team following the verdict. "Fentanyl is a deadly poison that continues to devastate families across our community. This verdict sends a clear message: if you deal fatal doses of Fentanyl in Washington Parish, my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law for murder," said District Attorney Collin Sims. "I want to commend the dedicated work of our prosecution team, lead WPSO investigator Captain Chad Cassard, and our law enforcement partners who acted swiftly to take this violent repeat offender off our streets.”
Washington Parish Sheriff Jason Smith stated, “Unfortunately, we continue to have people in our community who manipulate others in their lowest moments in order to make money. Thankfully, in Washington Parish, I have some exceptional deputies who will not stop going after the people who take advantage of others. Today was a win; there will be more.”
"Fentanyl is a lethal poison, and those who trade human lives for profit must face swift justice," said DEA New Orleans Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott. "This conviction highlights the vital impact of our Fentanyl Overdose Response Team working alongside local partners to pull deadly traffickers off our streets."
DA Sims extends special recognition to the joint law enforcement effort that led to the apprehension and conviction of Fairley, including the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), the U.S. Secret Service, the Louisiana State Police, and the Bogalusa Police Department.
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