Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Pawtucket man has been convicted in Providence County Superior Court of multiple felony drug possession and distribution charges, including delivering fentanyl that resulted in the death of 35-year-old Tokie Zammerelli in 2022. This case marks the first trial and the first conviction after trial under Kristen’s Law.
On December 10, 2024, following the conclusion of an five-day trial before Superior Court Justice William E. Carnes, the Court found Walik Morrison (age 44) guilty of one count of delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death (Kristin’s Law), one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver parafluorofentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver tramadol, one count of possession with intent to deliver xylazine, one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of possession of one ounce to one kilogram of paraflourofentanyl, fentanyl, xylazine, and tramadol.
The defendant is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 24, 2025.
“The proliferation of fentanyl in our communities is an immediate and extraordinary public health crisis,” said Attorney General Neronha. “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. Finally, I want to the Pawtucket Police for their hard work and partnership on this case and so many others.”
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on January 25, 2022, the defendant possessed several illegal narcotics and delivered a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl to a 35-year-old Pawtucket mother, resulting in her death by overdose.
On January 25, 2022, the victim contacted the defendant to request a delivery of cocaine. The defendant delivered a powdered substance to the victim soon after the victim’s request, then left the property. Several hours after the victim ingested the substance, her husband found her unresponsive. Pawtucket Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and after several attempts at revival, pronounced her dead.
Autopsy results revealed that the victim died of cocaine and fentanyl intoxication, the report noting that the level of fentanyl in the victim’s blood was more than three times the average fentanyl level that typically results in death. After recovering the victim’s cell phone, investigators discovered text messages between the victim and the defendant. Soon thereafter, investigators began surveilling the defendant and obtained a warrant to search his residence. On February 15, 2022, detectives executed the search warrant, locating and seizing large amounts of fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, tramadol, and xylazine in pill form. They also recovered a small amount of cocaine and a large amount of marijuana.
Subsequently, investigators interviewed the defendant after his arrest, at which time the defendant admitted to crushing up fentanyl pills and delivering powdered fentanyl to the victim instead of the cocaine she requested.
“I am thankful to the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department and their commitment to fighting the distribution of illegal narcotics,” said Chief Tina Goncalves of the Pawtucket Police Department. “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 and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Scott Sullivan, formerly of the Pawtucket Police Department, led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Original source can be found here.