On Wednesday afternoon, jurors from Hamilton County found Defendant Morgan Copeland guilty of Second Degree Murder for the death of Nicholas Jackson.

Copeland sold fentanyl to Jackson under the guise of a different controlled substance, and the extremely deadly drug immediately killed the victim. Prosecutors, Assistant District Attorney Chris Post and Assistant District Attorney Jason Demastus, delivered closing arguments to a jury of twelve on Wednesday afternoon, and in less than one hour the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged.

In 2018, the Tennessee Legislature enacted legislation that directly targets drug dealers selling fentanyl. The legislation enacted under TCA 39-13-210(a)(3) calls for a conviction of Second Degree Murder when a defendant is found guilty of selling fentanyl that results in death. Second Degree Murder is a Class A Felony, which carries 15 to 60 years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections.

“To my knowledge, this is the first trial of its kind in Hamilton County,” said District Attorney Coty Wamp. “When considering an overdose death, the community may not typically think of a Second Degree Murder charge. However, the legislative intent was very clear with this statute. In Tennessee, if you sell or deliver illegal drugs to a person and that person dies as a result of those drugs, you can be found guilty of murder.

“My hope is that this conviction is a wake-up call for drug dealers all across our county,” Wamp continued. “We will continue to prosecute under this statute and we will continue to focus our efforts on sending dangerous drug dealers to prison.”

Copeland will face sentencing on May 2, 2023 at 1:30 PM in the Second Division of Criminal Court.