Pair faces murder charges months after woman’s fatal drug overdose

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Two people are in the Union County Jail facing several charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with a fatal drug overdose that happened last year.

According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, 40-year-old Jason Carmona, of Monroe, and 21-year-old Abigail Pearce, of Matthews, were arrested earlier this week after they were identified as being the source of the drugs that led to the death of 47-year-old Sheila Burton last October in Unionville.

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Emergency crews responded on Oct. 20 to a home on Love Mill Road after getting a 911 call about a cardiac arrest. When they got there, deputies found Burton unresponsive.

Paramedics were able to regain a pulse after performing CPR and administering Narcan but Burton died at the hospital the next day.

The cause of death indicated Burton likely died from a heroin overdose, according to officials.

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Union County Sheriff’s detectives from the Criminal Investigations Bureau working with Narcotics Bureau detectives were able to trace the deadly mixture of drugs back to Pearce and Carmona, authorities said.

Pearce faces charges of second-degree murder, death by distribution and sell/delivery of a schedule II controlled substance. Carmona faces charges of second-degree murder, death by distribution, sell/delivery of a schedule II controlled substance, as well as two additional counts of trafficking in heroin.

Those additional charges against Carmona resulted from a traffic stop Wednesday evening and the seizure of nearly 7 grams of heroin, deputies said.

The death by distribution charges marks the third time Union County detectives have charged the Class C felony crime over the last several months.

“We are committed to using all available resources to reducing the number of fatal overdoses in our community,” said Sheriff Eddie Cathey. “The increase of opioids and heroin on our streets destroyed many lives but now that fentanyl is being mixed with so many different drugs, this trend will continue unless we work together to stop it.”