From the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office:
On June 21, 2011, Lenoir County Deputies responded to reported drowning on Bonnie Walters Rd. Deputies found 15-year -old Kaitlyn Rouse unresponsive. Deputies assisted Kaitlyn's family members in performing CPR. Kaitlyn was then transported to Lenoir Memorial Hospital and later to Vidant Medical Center.
On June 23, 2011 Kaitlyn Rouse died. Toxicology results from blood drawn from Kaitlyn indicated a high level of Fentanyl. The official cause of death was a toxic combination of Fentanyl and Xanax.
An investigation was conducted by Det. Allen Seymour who was supported by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. It was revealed that Kaitlyn had purchased Fentanyl and Xanax from Ralph Johnathan Winn, age 46, of 5127 N.C. 58 North, Kinston (Jones County) just hours before she was found unresponsive.
On Dec. 17, 2013 a Lenoir County grand jury indicted Ralph Winn on the following charges:
second degree murder
possession with intent to sell/distribute schedule II
sell/deliver schedule II
On Dec. 18, 2011 Ralph Jonathan Winn was arrested at his home and transported to the Lenoir County jail, where he was processed and held under a $450,000 secured bond.
“While Kaitlyn paid the ultimate price for ingesting this substance, the person who provided this deadly concoction to Kaitlyn will now have to deal with the consequences," said Lenoir County Sheriff Chris Hill.