Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced the conviction of a Pawtucket man, Walik Morrison, in Providence County Superior Court on multiple felony drug charges. Morrison was found guilty of delivering fentanyl that led to the death of 35-year-old Tokie Zammerelli in 2022. This case marks the first trial and conviction under Kristen’s Law.
The verdict came after a five-day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice William E. Carnes. Morrison, aged 44, was convicted of several charges including delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver various drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, tramadol, xylazine, and marijuana. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and possession of significant amounts of narcotics.
Morrison is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) awaiting sentencing on March 24, 2025.
Attorney General Neronha stated: “The proliferation of fentanyl in our communities is an immediate and extraordinary public health crisis. When we focus our drug enforcement efforts on those driving the supply and distribution in our state, especially those whose clients end up dead, we are addressing root causes of multiple drug-related crises plaguing our communities. Tokie’s son lost his mother because of this defendant, and I am grateful to the Judge for ensuring this defendant will pay a high price for his crimes.”
The prosecution demonstrated that on January 25, 2022, Morrison delivered a mixture containing cocaine and fentanyl to Zammerelli at her request for cocaine. After consuming the substance provided by Morrison, she was found unresponsive by her husband later that day and was pronounced dead despite revival attempts.
An autopsy confirmed her death resulted from cocaine and fentanyl intoxication with fentanyl levels significantly above lethal averages. Investigators uncovered text messages between Zammerelli and Morrison from her phone which led them to surveil him. On February 15, 2022, police executed a search warrant at his residence uncovering large quantities of illegal substances.
During interrogation post-arrest, Morrison admitted he had substituted powdered fentanyl for the requested cocaine.
Chief Tina Goncalves commented: “I am thankful to the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department and their commitment to fighting the distribution of illegal narcotics. Through our partnership with the Attorney General's Office, we will continue our efforts to deter the flow of drugs and keep our communities safe.”
Assistant Attorney General John Perrotta alongside Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl spearheaded this case's investigation and prosecution with support from Detective Scott Sullivan.