Autopsy shows judge died of fentanyl, heroin overdose

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP/WWAY) – An autopsy report shows a North Carolina judge died of a fentanyl and heroin overdose.

The News & Record of Greensboro reports District Court Judge Tom Jarrell was found unresponsive on the bedroom floor of his home in High Point on Aug. 3.

The report from the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also says the 56-year-old Jarrell had alcohol in his system.

According to the report, Jarrell had a medical history with an irregular heartbeat, but police found a plastic bag with a powdered substance in his pocket. The autopsy found that there was a possible needle puncture in his right arm with dried blood. Also, the report said police found a pocketknife and a piece of paper containing a powdered substance in his bathroom.

North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley said in a statement, “We are shocked and saddened by the news from Judge Tom Jarrell’s autopsy results, but we all know that his many gifts to our state and to our profession will stand the test of time. We all need to support his wife Cindy and their sons at this time and  carry on with the important work that he left unfinished.”

___

Information from: News & Record, http://www.news-record.com

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)