UPDATE: RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – A sweeping drug investigation led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has resulted in multiple second-degree murder and felony drug trafficking charges against a group of suspects allegedly responsible for a string of fatal overdoses in Rutherford County.

At the center of the case is 40-year-old Randrell L. Cason, who now faces 28 serious criminal charges, including five counts of second-degree murder. The charges are the result of a lengthy and detailed investigation tying Cason to five fatal overdoses that occurred between October 2019 and April 2020. The TBI confirmed all five deaths were linked to fentanyl or heroin laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that continues to contribute to rising overdose deaths across Tennessee and the nation.

Authorities said that Cason is also facing Class B and Class C felony charges for trafficking Schedule I and II controlled substances, including heroin and fentanyl. These charges come with steep penalties, including potential prison time, substantial government fines, and mandatory restitution if convicted—possibly to both public agencies and private victims or families affected by his alleged actions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, making it especially deadly. The drug is often mixed into street narcotics or pressed into counterfeit pills that appear to be legitimate prescription medications—leading users to unknowingly ingest fatal doses.

Also named in the TBI’s investigation is 48-year-old Larry Warren Jackson, who has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder tied to overdose deaths that occurred in 2019 and 2020. Jackson is no stranger to the courts; he was previously convicted on multiple felony drug charges and is currently incarcerated. His parole request was denied, and he now faces a potential sentence extension, depending on the outcome of a plea hearing scheduled for July 31, 2025 in Circuit Court before Judge Barry Tidwell.

Several other individuals have been charged or sentenced in connection to the drug distribution network:

• Jermaine M. Jackson, 43, is facing one second-degree murder charge and two felony drug offenses. Arrested in January 2023, he is currently on active supervision probation for a prior meth conviction.
  
  
• Chance Lyndell Norman, 36, recently pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and received an 8-year sentence, of which he must serve at least 2 years and 4 months before becoming eligible for probation. He is housed in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.
  
  
• Steven Tyler Nabi, 37, pleaded guilty in 2023 to possessing felony amounts of Schedule I and II drugs. He is serving a 20-year sentence at Whiteville Correctional Facility in Hardeman County.
  
  
• Erica Lyn Piatt, 40, received a 10-year sentence for her role in a drug conspiracy and felony Schedule II charges. She is currently on supervised probation with regular check-ins at the Murfreesboro Probation and Parole Office.
  
  
• Ross Mitchell Shanklin Jr., 45, is under active parole supervision following his conviction on two counts of Schedule I possession and charges for possessing substances with intent to distribute.
  
  
• Abigail Vang, 26, served 75 days in jail for a probation violation and drug possession, and is now on probation for a 19-year sentence involving Schedule I drugs under split confinement.

Two more individuals, Charles Felix Bell (35) and Mariah Whitney Fayne (30), are also named in the case. They are each facing drug-related charges and are due in court on August 7 and August 6, 2025, respectively.

According details that WGNS obtained, TBI Special Agent Denis Mabry has been one of the lead investigators throughout the case, a case that illustrates the devastating ripple effects that fentanyl trafficking has on families and communities.

Multiple department helped with the investigation to include: The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, Smyrna Police Department, LaVergne Police Department, Murfreesboro Police Department,  Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, and Metro Police Department all assisted in this investigation.

More details from the local courts are expected to be released in the coming days. WGNS will provide additional updates as the case continues to unfold in Rutherford County courts.