Joint Investigation into Overdose Death Results in Indictment, Arrest

OVERTON COUNTY – A joint investigation by Special Agents with the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and multiple other law enforcement agencies has resulted in a Livingston man being charged with second degree murder and several drug-related offenses.

In September, TBI Special Agents, along with detectives with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Overton County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the 13^th Judicial District Attorney General, began investigating the 2019 overdose death of Christopher William Thompson (DOB 02/19/1994). Mr. Thompson was found deceased in his Celina home on September 20^th, and the investigation revealed he died from fentanyl toxicity. During the course of the investigation, Agents and detectives determined that Ronald Wheeler was the individual responsible for providing the drugs to the victim the day prior to his death.

On January 27^th, the Overton County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Ronald Anson Wheeler (DOB 03/12/1968) with two counts of Second Degree Murder, three counts of Delivery of Fentanyl Schedule II, two counts Sale of Fentanyl Schedule II, two counts Sale of Heroin Schedule I, and two counts Delivery of Heroin Schedule I. On Tuesday, Wheeler was arrested and booked into the Overton County Jail on a $500,000 bond.