Meanwhile drug abuse deaths continue in the US

On February 12, 2024, four people—Abraham Lemus (32), Keely Pereira (33), Clifford Joy (30), and Adam Joy (35)—died from fentanyl overdoses at a Super Bowl party held at a home on 596 Roger Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. The group had been celebrating the Super Bowl the previous evening, and the house was described as tidy, with no signs of violence, containing food and drinks typical of a party setting. The deaths occurred after the group unknowingly ingested fentanyl, believing it to be cocaine.

A man known as “Frog,” identified as Timothy Austin Pannell, was arrested for allegedly supplying the fentanyl. According to prosecutors, Pannell, a known local dealer, met the victims outside a South Lake Tahoe church after the Super Bowl, where GPS data and phone records confirmed the transaction. A witness reported that Pannell accidentally provided fentanyl instead of cocaine, pulling the wrong baggie from his pocket. Upon realizing his mistake, Pannell reportedly made frantic attempts to warn the victims, placing 17 unanswered calls and driving to the neighborhood, but he was unable to prevent the tragedy