GASTONIA, N.C. — Paul Hendrix III was sentenced to five to seven years in prison after pleading no contest to charges related to attempted trafficking of opium or heroin in connection with the death of Heather Hayes, our partners at The Gaston Gazette reported.
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Hendrix, 26, was implicated in the death of 32-year-old Heather Hayes, who was found unresponsive in her bedroom in May 2023. The investigation revealed that Hayes had been purchasing fentanyl from Hendrix through a middleman, Chad Hughes.
District Attorney Travis Page stated that Hendrix was selling pressed pills that looked like Xanax but were actually fentanyl.
“Mr. Hendrix has created a hole in a family that’s going to be hard to replace,” Page added.
Hendrix’s attorney, Larry Hoyle, mentioned that Hendrix has realized his mistakes and feels remorseful.
“He just feels awful about what happened,” Hoyle said.
Chad Hughes, the middleman in the drug transactions, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Hayes’ death and was sentenced to four to six years in prison.
During the investigation, Hendrix sold drugs containing fentanyl to a confidential informant, further implicating him in the illegal drug trade.
Superior Court Judge Karen Eady-Williams noted that Hendrix had no prior criminal record but emphasized the severity of his actions.
“Drug dealing is a crime of greed,” she said, urging Hendrix to avoid returning to such a lifestyle.
Judge Eady-Williams expressed hope that Hendrix would become a productive member of society after serving his sentence, highlighting the need for those with addiction to receive help rather than being exploited by dealers.
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