MANTEO, N.C. (WAVY) — Tyrique Lazara Wise, 38, was convicted of aggravated death by distribution after two people died from the cocaine he sold to them, officials said.
He was sentenced to around 18-25 years in jail.
On Sept. 13, 2021, law enforcement was dispatched to a home in Manteo. They
discovered that Rachel Cockerham and George Bowman Jr. died after ingesting cocaine purchased the night before from Wise, officials said. A third person was unconscious from ingesting the cocaine, but survived.
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force identified Wise as being the dealer. The
autopsies found that the deaths were are result of a “multi-drug toxicity of fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol.”
Wise was charged with aggravated death by distribution due to having prior convictions for sale of controlled substance and involuntary manslaughter in another drug related death
“The recent arrests by the Dare County Sheriff’s Office of persons suspected of drug activity, and the convictions and sentencing of Mr. Wise we hope sends a clear message to the drug dealers in this area,” District Attorney Jeff Cruden said. “If you continue to sell your poison, we are coming after you. As we have all seen too many times, drugs ruins lives, torments families, ends careers, and in tragic circumstances like we have here, ends lives.”
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