Woman charged in October overdose death

A Lacey woman was arrested after she was accused of selling a man fentanyl pills that resulted in his overdose death.

Michele Hylton, 50, was charged with homicide by controlled substance. She was booked into the Thurston County Jail on Thu., Nov. 26.

On Oct. 7, Thurston County first responders went to a house in the county, where they attempted to save the life of a 32-year-old man suffering from an overdose. The man died from what was later determined to be a fentanyl overdose. Another person in the house told deputies the man had crushed and snorted a pill that he had purchased earlier that day.

Deputies got a search warrant to access the man’s phone, where they found he had “numerous” interactions with a person named “Michelle” about buying fentanyl and oxycodone pills. One of the interactions occurred the day the man died.

During the investigation, a person who lived with the deceased identified Hylton as the person who sold him pills. Another person admitted to driving Hylton to the deal.

Hylton was interviewed by deputies and allegedly admitted to selling pills to the deceased. Her phone number matched the number found in the deceased man’s phone. During a search of Hylton’s home, deputies reported finding a bag filled with oxycodone pills.