New Hanover County man charged in fentanyl death

ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY) — The Pender County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in a drug overdose case from last year.

On September 19, 2022, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office responded to the death of Justin Barnes, 32, in Rocky Point. An autopsy showed his death was the result of Fentanyl Toxicity.

Investigators with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office investigated and arrested Grayson Kyle Lancaster, 30, on Wednesday. The investigation showed Lancaster, a resident of New Hanover County, sold the fentanyl-laced narcotics to Barnes the day of his death.

Lancaster has been charged with felony Death by Distribution and is currently being held without bond in the Pender County Jail.