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Cody Allen Davis
Cody Allen Davis, 29, of Williston was arrested on July 26 by the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) after a 19-year-old was found dead.
Deputies responded to a residence in Barnwell County at 4:20 a.m. on July 25 after a call to dispatch reported a “male subject that was unconscious, not breathing, and that the patient was blue,” states the incident report.
When deputies arrived on scene, they were directed to a bedroom in the home to find Larry Benjamin Joyner III, 19, of Olar on a bed. Deputies immediately began to administer CPR.
“After accessing Joyner further, it had appeared that this incident may have been caused due to a possible drug overdose,” states the report.
While Medshore EMS was enroute, deputies administered one dosage of Narcan to Joyner who remained unresponsive. In the report, deputies noted Joyner was “very cool to the touch and seemed to have already been deceased for some time.”
Once EMS personnel arrived, they took a cardiac reading and advised “no life-saving measures could be performed,” states the report.
Barnwell County Coroner Denise Gibson then arrived on scene to perform her assessment and ultimately aided in transporting Joyner to the Barnwell County morgue.
Although this case is still being investigated by BCSO, Davis has been charged with negligent manslaughter and a Schedule I drug offense. He was booked and released to the Barnwell County Detention Center.
According to the arrest warrant related to the manslaughter charge, Davis “distributed a quantity of marijuana and 2 percocet 30 MG, that were identified to contain fentanyl” to the victim.
According to the arrest warrant related to Davis’ drug charge, a juvenile was also involved in this incident. The juvenile was transported to Augusta University Medical Center where their medical records showed the presence of THC and fentanyl in the victim’s system.
On August 1, Barnwell County Sheriff Steve Griffith attended a ceremonial bill signing of H. 3503, Fentanyl Trafficking, which adds fentanyl-related substances to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. This bill also establishes the felony offense of trafficking fentanyl with increased penalties and creates a minimum sentence.
"Through this legislation, we provide our law enforcement and prosecutors with valuable tools to keep these drug dealers behind bars, helping to combat the unprecedented flood of fentanyl crossing the Southern border and entering our communities," said Governor Henry McMaster in a press release. "Going forward, we must continue to crack down on criminals within South Carolina by strengthening our bond reform bill and enhancing penalties for illegal gun possession, effectively closing the revolving door once and for all."
This bill “makes it a felony to possess two grains of fentanyl or fentanyl-related substance knowingly,” according to a press release from the office of Governor McMaster.
The first offense for trafficking four to 14 grams of fentanyl is punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. With each subsequent offense penalties climb.
