Grand Jury indicts two Avoyelles men in drug related death

For what is believed to be the first time in Avoyelles Parish criminal justice history, two men have been charged with murder for providing drugs to a person who died of an overdose.

Chad Odom, 44, of Cottonport was arrested Aug. 22 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder and three counts of cruelty to juveniles. He is in Avoyelles Detention Center #1 under $125,000 bond.

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Kevin Rollins, 45, of Mansura, who is also facing a 2nd degree murder charge in connection with the overdose death.

Shauntel Dauzat died of an overdose of heroin and methamphetamine -- a combination known as a “speedball” -- in October 2018.

Dauzat and Rollins were both found unresponsive in a semi-truck that had run off the road near the intersection of La. Hwy 1185 and La. Hwy 107.

Rollins was driving the truck at the time of the accident. He was able to be revived. Dauzat was dead.

An autopsy concluded Dauzat died from an overdose of heroin and methamphetamine.

During the investigation of the case, APSO detectives learned that Rollins and Dauzat allegedly purchased narcotics from Odom, who lived near where the semi-truck was found.

Detectives presented their findings to the Avoyelles Parish District Attorney. The case was presented to a grand jury on Aug. 15, which handed down the indictments against Odom and Rollins.

Anyone with information relating to the whereabouts of Rollins is asked to contact the APSO Chad Odom are asked to call the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office at 253-4000 or the nearest police department.

District Attorney Charles Riddle said this is the first time in Avoyelles Parish that someone alleged to have provided drugs to an overdose victim has been indicted for murder.

“It is a difficult charge to prove because the statute requires that it be proven that the drug that was given to the person was the direct cause of death,” Riddle said.

For example, if someone was under the influence of drugs and had a fatal auto accident, the “direct cause” of death would be the accident while the drugs would be a contributing factor.

In the Dauzat death, the allegation is that the drugs believed to have been sold by Odom and provided by Rollins to the victim was the direct cause of her death.

“People need to be forewarned before they give anyone illegal drugs that if those drugs cause the death of the person, the one providing those drugs could be tried for 2nd degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole,” Riddle said.

“Speedballs,” a combination of an opiate and a stimulant, have been responsible for the many deaths, including comedians John Belushi and Chris Farley.