COVINGTON, Ga. — Nearly six months after a man died from a lethal combination of fentanyl and the emerging drug "tranq" found in his system, police said they have made an arrest.
Matthew Burley was arrested last week after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at a home along Hwy 81 along Covington on June 21. He is accused of trafficking fentanyl and in the murder of James Nail, Jr.
Nail was found dead after Covington Police Department officers were called to a possible overdose on December 30, 2022. Nail was unresponsive and found with drug paraphernalia, according to investigators.
In his obituary, loved ones said his life was cut short at 31 years old. He is survived by his wife and two children.
A GBI toxicology report revealed Nail had fentanyl and Xylazine in his system at the time of his death, according to the CPD. Xylazine, known as "tranq" is a horse tranquilizer and can make fentanyl more deadly. NARCAN cannot stop an overdose with the presence of tranq.
Detectives determined Burley is the one who provided Nail the drugs, police said. He was booked into the Newton County jail shortly after his arrest.
