A Pawtucket man was found guilty in Providence County Superior Court on Tuesday of several felony drug possession and distribution charges, including delivering fentanyl that killed 35-year-old Tokie Zammerelli in 2022, according to Attorney General Peter Neronha. Under Kristen’s Law, this is the first trial and the first conviction following a trial.
Walik Morrison, 44, was found guilty on Tuesday after a five-day trial before Superior Court Justice William Carnes of one count of delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death (Kristin’s Law), one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver tramadol, one count of possession with intent to deliver xylazine, one count of possession of one kilogram of paraflourofentanyl, fentanyl, xylazine, and tramadol.
Morrison’s sentencing hearing is set for March 24, 2025, and he is now being imprisoned at the Adult Correctional Institutions without bail.
Attorney General Neronha stated that the spread of fentanyl in our communities is an urgent and exceptional public health emergency. We are tackling the underlying causes of the numerous drug-related crises afflicting our communities when we concentrate our drug enforcement efforts on those who are responsible for the supply and distribution of drugs in our state, particularly those whose clients die. This criminal caused Tokie’s son to lose his mother, and I am thankful to the jury for making sure this guy will be held accountable for his actions. Lastly, I would like to thank the Pawtucket Police for their dedication and cooperation on this case as well as many others.
The State demonstrated during the trial that Morrison provided a cocaine and fentanyl mixture to a 35-year-old Pawtucket mother on January 25, 2022, causing her to overdose and die. Morrison also possessed multiple illegal drugs.
Zammerelli called Morrison on January 25, 2022, to ask for a cocaine delivery. Shortly after her request, he gave her a powdered substance and departed the premises. Zammerelli was discovered unconscious by her spouse many hours after she consumed the drug. When Pawtucket Fire & Rescue arrived on the scene, they declared her dead following multiple attempts at resuscitation.
According to the results of the autopsy, Zammerelli died from cocaine and fentanyl intoxication; the study also noted that the amount of fentanyl in her blood was more than three times the usual amount that causes death. Investigators found texts between Zammerelli and Morrison after reclaiming her cell phone. Investigators soon got a warrant to search Morrison’s home and started monitoring him. Detectives carried out the search warrant on February 15, 2022, and found and confiscated huge quantities of pill-form xylazine, tramadol, parafluorofentanyl, and fentanyl. In addition, they found a lot of marijuana and a little cocaine.
Morrison later confessed to smashing up fentanyl pills and giving the victim powdered fentanyl rather than the cocaine she had asked for during an interview with detectives following his detention.
Chief Tina Goncalves of the Pawtucket Police Department expressed gratitude to the department’s men and women for their dedication to combating the spread of illegal drugs. We will keep up our efforts to prevent the flow of drugs and maintain the safety of our communities through our collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office.
Kristen’s Law stipulates that the delivery of banned substances that results in death carries a maximum life sentence in prison. Aaron Andrade entered a plea to one count of second-degree murder in April 2017 for distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the overdose death of 29-year-old Kristen Coutu of Cranston, Rhode Island.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by Detective Scott Sullivan, a former member of the Pawtucket Police Department, and Assistant Attorney General John Perrotta and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl of the Office of the Attorney General.
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