EAST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the overdose death of a pregnant woman in Chester County, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Marty Jene Harrell Jr., 33, Davonne Marquis Dutton-Norris, 29, and Tajh Curry, 34, face charges including corrupt organizations and possession with intent to deliver. Harrell and Dutton-Norris are also charged with drug delivery resulting in death. The arrests follow the June 5, 2024, death of a 35-year-old woman who overdosed in East Whiteland Township.
According to investigators, police responded to a residence on Kelmar Avenue at around 10:12 a.m. on June 5 after receiving a call for an unconscious woman. The victim, who was six months pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts. An autopsy revealed she died from a lethal combination of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, xylazine, and methamphetamine.
Evidence gathered through interviews, search warrants, and court orders indicated that the victim had been in contact with Harrell and Dutton-Norris to obtain fentanyl-laced pills resembling Percocet in the days leading up to her death. Further investigation led detectives to a residence in Valley Township used as a storage and distribution hub for controlled substances, where authorities seized cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe emphasized the ongoing efforts to combat the illegal drug trade. “Those suffering from the disease of addiction deserve a chance at treatment, not death from a bad batch of drugs,” he said in a statement.