BENTON COUNTY, Wash. – An arrest has been made in connection with the fentanyl-related death of a man in a Benton County home last year.
On August 25, 2024, sheriff’s deputies found Steven Taylor dead in his bedroom with blood on his face, alongside drug paraphernalia and fentanyl, court documents said.
Court documents also revealed that paramedics pronounced Taylor dead at the scene, that autopsy results confirmed toxic effects of fentanyl as the cause of death and that text messages between Taylor and Dustin Shearer, 31, indicated an illegal drug purchase before Taylor’s death.
An arrest warrant was issued for Shearer on a charge of controlled substance homicide.
Shearer was detained April 8 and booked into Benton County jail. He’s scheduled to appear in court on May 24. He also faces a charge of identity theft in Franklin County, according to court documents.
