DUPLIN WOMAN ENTERS PLEA AFTER GIVING FRIEND LETHAL DOSE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

KENANSVILLE -- A Duplin County woman pleaded guilty to involuntary
manslaughter Tuesday in a case in which she provided a friend a fatal
amount of painkillers.

Joan Celeste Fussell, 43, was sentenced to a minimum of 16 months and
a maximum of 20 months in the July 2005 death of Glenda Lee, 54. The
sentence was suspended for three years, and Ms. Fussell was placed
under three years probation.

She had no prior criminal record.

Ms. Fussell pleaded guilty to providing the drug fentanyl to Mrs. Lee
in an amount sufficient to cause her death.

According to evidence presented by prosecutors, Ms. Fussell went to
Mrs. Lee's residence on July 17, 2005. Mrs. Lee had been suffering
from migraine headaches and at the time was under a doctor's care.

Ms. Fussell had been prescribed the drug Actiq, a form of fentanyl,
by a physician for an undisclosed medical problem. When she visited
Mrs. Lee, she gave her several of the drug "lollipops" to help ease
the pain from her headaches. She did not have authorization from a
physician, but the two women had known each other since 1999 and had
become close friends, lawyers said.

Mrs. Lee's death was determined to be the result of fentanyl
toxicity, investigators testified.

During her testimony, Ms. Fussell said she knew at the time that she
should not have given Mrs. Lee drugs from her prescription, but that
she simply wanted to help a suffering friend.

During the sentencing, Mrs. Lee's husband, Brentwood Lee, told the
court he had forgiven Ms. Fussell and that he did not want her to
receive an active prison sentence.

Prosecutors agreed.

"This was a difficult case, in light of the circumstances surrounding
the death of Glenda Lee. The court commented that this was a case of
killing someone with kindness," Duplin District Dewey Hudson said.
"However, although there was no evidence of malice, there did exist
sufficient evidence of thoughtless disregard for the consequences of
providing fentanyl to Mrs. Lee.

"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."