Second suspect arrested in overdose murder case

A man indicted for 2nd degree murder in connection with a drug overdose death was captured in Texas Wednesday (Aug. 28), the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office reported.

Kevin Rollins, 45, of Mansura, was arrested in Lewisville, Texas, and charged with the October 2018 murder of Shauntel Dauzat. At this time, Rollins is in Lewisville P.D. custody awaiting extradition to Avoyelles Parish.

Rollins is the second man arrested in connection with Dauzat’s death. Chad Odom, 44, of Cottonport, was arrested Aug. 22 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder in the Dauzat case. He was also charged with three unrelated counts of cruelty to a juvenile.

In October 2018, APSO deputies responded to a call of an 18-wheeler running off the road near the intersection of La. Hwys 1185 and 107 near Cottonport. When they arrived, they found Dauzat and Rollins unconscious in the cab of the truck.

Dauzat was dead but Rollins was able to be revived.

Rollins, who was the driver of the truck, is alleged to have purchased heroin and methamphetamine from Odom and then provided the potentially lethal “speedball” combination to Dauzat.

The case was presented to a grand jury, which handed down the indictments on Aug. 15.

This is the first time in Avoyelles Parish judicial history that a murder charge has been pursued against individuals for providing drugs that led to a fatal overdose, District Attorney Charles Riddle said.

State law allows the charge if the drugs were the direct cause of the death.

Murder convictions in overdose deaths have been handed down in other jurisdictions in the state.