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…