Arrest Made in the Overdose Death of a Henderson County Kentucky Woman

 EVANSVILLE - An Evansville man was arrested on May 21^st, 2021 in Evansville on charges related to his alleged distribution of controlled substances to a Henderson County Kentucky woman found dead at a Reed, Kentucky residence in February 2021.

According to court documents, in December 2020, deputies with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force responded to a residence for a suspected heroin overdose of a 28-year-old female named Lindsey Wiley. Wiley was transported to the hospital while officers recovered a variety of controlled substances from the residence. Wiley recovered and later spoke with law enforcement. Officer’s learned that Wiley had overdosed on heroin that she obtained from a “guy in Evansville”.

In February 2021, EMS and law enforcement again responded to Wiley’s residence for an overdose and found that Wiley was deceased. Officers collected evidence that Wiley had traveled to Evansville the night before her death, returned home, went to her room, and never left before her body was discovered. Investigators discovered Wiley made several monetary transactions, to include the times she overdosed, and had conversations about illegal drug purchases with a 28-year-old Evansville man named Johntavis Matlock.

Matlock is charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Distribution of a Controlled Substance Causing Death. If convicted Matlock faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to a maximum term of life in federal prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress of the Southern District of Indiana; and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Gannon made the announcement today at a press conference held at the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Evansville.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Mukoski is prosecuting the case and said that Matlock made his first appearance in court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Evansville on May 24^th, 2021. Matlock is scheduled for a detention and probable cause hearing at 2:30 p.m. on May 27^th, 2021 in the Evansville District Court before Magistrate Judge Matthew P. Brookman.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.