The family of 18-year-old Jayce Ward is grieving after he tragically overdosed on fentanyl. Brayden Hollie, 18, is accused of supplying the deadly drug and has been charged with manslaughter.
Ward’s aunt, Ashley Rowell, recalls the moment she overheard a dispatch call while working at a nearby police department. “I had a feeling it was Jayce,” Rowell said, deeply emotional. “We were so close, I knew before we were officially told.”
Jayce Ward, a recent graduate from Mary G. Montgomery High School, loved fishing, hunting, and had dreams of joining the military. Rowell explained that her nephew had sought help for his drug use and had been out of rehab for less than 48 hours before his life was tragically cut short. Hollie’s charges are tied to a new law that makes it manslaughter to provide fentanyl that causes a death.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood emphasized the severity of such cases, stating that one fentanyl pill could be lethal, especially when mixed with other drugs. In another similar case, Kaleb Harden, 18, faces manslaughter charges after providing fentanyl that killed 17-year-old Brady Holifield. Deputies arrested Deandre Brown, 37, who allegedly supplied the drugs to both Harden and Hollie.
Jackson Lewis, 19, was previously charged with manslaughter in the 2022 fentanyl death of 15-year-old Adrianna Taylor. Though the case occurred before the new law took effect, Lewis was convicted under the old reckless manslaughter statute.
Hollie faces a Class B felony charge, which could result in 2-10 years in prison if convicted. This case underscores the continuing crisis of fentanyl-related deaths among young people in the region.
