Two arrested for alleged involvement in 2024 overdose death

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) held a press conference Friday, October 24, announcing the arrest of two individuals in connection with the 2024 overdose death of a Bonifay woman.

Jamie Dawn Ewing of Caryville and Jastyn Green of Chipley were both arrested on charges of manslaughter on Thursday, October 23, for their alleged role in the victim’s death.

According to HCSO, in March 2024, deputies responded to a residence near Bonifay regarding an unresponsive female. Upon arrival, EMS personnel pronounced the woman deceased.

During the initial investigation, witnesses at the scene told investigators that the victim had recently obtained pills from Washington County. Investigators spent 18 months analyzing phone records and social media, ultimately tracing the fentanyl-laced pills to a deal facilitated by Ewing and carried out by Green

Through analysis of text messages, investigators discovered communication between the victim and Ewing, in which the victim requested to purchase pills. Those messages ultimately led to a meeting between the victim and Green in Chipley, where the victim purchased pills that were later determined to be laced with fentanyl.

A report from the Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as fentanyl toxicity. During interviews, Ewing admitted to investigators that she facilitated the drug deal between the victim and Green.

Throughout the investigation, multiple search warrants and subpoenas were executed on the suspects’ and victim’s phones and social media accounts, leading to the discovery of messages confirming the sequence of events.

During the conference, HCSO Sheriff John Tate noted that this case marks the first fentanyl-related manslaughter prosecution for the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. The case required hundreds of man-hours and close collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the State Attorney’s Office.

State Attorney Larry Basford spoke during the conference as well, issuing a warning directly to those that distribute illegal substances.

“Let this be a clear warning to all drug dealers and would-be drug dealers out there; if you get caught dealing or distributing drugs and it causes an overdose or a death, you may very well end up spending the rest of your natural life in prison,” said Basford. “Our community, our citizens, will not tolerate drug dealers spreading this poison in our community.”

Sheriff Tate noted that while the HCSO remains committed to jailing drug dealers, they also want to help those struggling with addiction, noting the success of rehabilitation programs.

“If you put a drug dealer in jail, somebody is going to step up and take his spot. But if you take the people who are wanting the drugs, and take that taste out of their mouth where they don’t want it any more, then [the dealers] lose their business,” said Tate.

Attorney Basford also cautioned the public about the dangers of purchasing street drugs.

“Anyone out there who purchases or uses street level drugs, they are really playing Russian Roulette. You don’t know what you are getting when you buy street level drugs, and just a little bit of that fentanyl can be deadly, as we can see in this case,” warned Basford.

Sheriff Tate offered words of comfort to the victim’s family while reiterating that the sale of drugs in Holmes County will not be tolerated.

“This arrest will not bring the victim back, but we hope it brings closure to the family and it sends a clear message — if you deal drugs in Holmes County or our surrounding areas, and we can prove you are responsible for someone’s death, we will prosecute you,” says Tate.

In accordance with Marsy’s Law, which protects victim information, the victim’s name and information is not being released at this time. Ewing is currently being held at the Washington County jail, while Green is held at the Holmes County jail.