GUILTY PLEA IN OVERDOSING CASE

A woman who gave her best friend Fentanyl-laced lollipops that caused
a fatal overdose pleaded guilty Tuesday in Duplin County Superior
Court to involuntary manslaughter.

Joan Celeste Fussell, 43, was sentenced by Judge Jay D. Hockenbury to
36 months of supervised probation, along with a 16- to 20-month
suspended prison sentence.

Glenda Lee, 54, died on July 17, 2005. Both women were neighbors in
the Deep Run section of Duplin County.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic narcotic about 80 times more potent
than morphine. Recent deaths among heroin users across the United
States have been linked to heroin cut with Fentanyl, which is
sparingly prescribed for legitimate medical conditions.

Prosecutors said Fussell gave Lee up to four prescription Actiq
Fentanyl lollipops. Fussell had gone to the home of Lee, who was
suffering from migraine headaches and was under a doctor's care.
Fussell was prescribed the Fentanyl lollipops for serious medical
problems, prosecuting Assistant District Attorney J.B. Askins said.

Fussell said in court that she had known Lee since 1999 and described
the woman as her best friend.

"She said at the sentencing hearing that she gave her the lollipops
to help with the headaches," Askins said. "There was not any evidence
she had specific intent to harm her."

Fussell admitted at the sentencing hearing "that she knew it was
wrong to give medications prescribed only to the defendant to another
person," according to information released by Duplin County District
Attorney G. Dewey Hudson.

Members of the victim's family, including Lee's husband, were present
at the sentencing hearing. Brentwood Lee told Hockenbury "that he had
forgiven the defendant and did not want her to receive an active
prison sentence," Hudson said.

"It's an extremely unusual case," Askins said.

Lee was married for 39 years and had two sons.

"This was a difficult case in light of the circumstances surrounding
the death of Glenda Lee. (Hockenbury) commented that this was a case
of killing someone with kindness," Hudson said in a prepared statement.

"Although there was no evidence of malice, there did exist sufficient
evidence of thoughtless disregard for the consequences of providing
Fentanyl to Mrs. Lee," Hudson said. "A plea of involuntary
manslaughter should send a message to the community that one who is
prescribed drugs by a physician should not under any circumstances
provide those drugs to another individual."