Ozark, Mo. teenager charged with murder after girl found dead with fentanyl in her system

OZARK, Mo. (KY3) - A teenager from Ozark has been charged in the death of a 16-year-old girl, who died of a fentanyl overdose in September.

Investigators say 17-year-old Jacob Sayre is being charged as an adult and has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child - death of a child - no sexual contact, and delivery of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid.

Investigators say on the morning of September 4, the girl’s family found her unconscious in her bedroom. When investigators arrived on the scene, they found the girl had died.

Investigators interviewed her family and shared that around 11:30 p.m. the night before, they heard her leave and come back inside a few minutes later after meeting with a friend, later identified as Sayre. Authorities searched her room and found a credit card, a rolled-up $20 bill, and a cut blue pill on her nightstand.

Court documents say investigators also found a note on the victim’s desk addressed to another friend. The victim wrote about her and the friend’s relationship and that she was doing drugs while writing the letter. Police say the letter stopped abruptly with the phrase, “I plan.”

Before leaving the scene, family members told investigators that the girl had been experimenting with other drugs like weed, molly, and cocaine.

According to court documents, investigators searched her phone and found her Snapchat account, where they noticed a long message thread between her and Sayre where the two talked about Sayre bringing her drugs. Sayre then gives the girl instructions on how to snort the pill, saying, “Have a bucket near you and only snort a half, and it’s just one. Only do a quarter and then do the other quarter if you don’t feel it.”

After snorting the drug, the victim responded to Sayre, saying she cut it wrong and felt it kicking in.

Investigators went to Sayre’s house and told him the girl had died. Court documents say Sayre got quiet and began to shake as he processed the information. He then told police that he did bring something to the victim but did not know it was drugs. Officers contacted his parents for approval to question him and search his car. Detectives did not find anything illegal in the car.

While talking to investigators, Sayre mentioned that he and the victim met in 10th grade at church.

Sayre told police he had a friend tell him the drug dealer left Sayre a “per” in a mailbox in downtown Springfield. Sayre did not know the exact address of the mailbox but that it was in a neighborhood. Sayre said the pill was wrapped in a Tylenol wrapper. Sayre then drove to the victim’s house to deliver the pill.

Court documents say Sayre called the victim and talked for 5-10 minutes. He told police she sounded “out of it” but nothing out of the ordinary. Sayre shared that this was the first time he brought illegal drugs to the victim. The interview was stopped a few minutes later at the parent’s request because they wanted to be present for any other questioning.

When investigators went to receive an autopsy report, the medical examiner said the victim had foam in her throat and that she had MDMA, O-Desmethylvenlafaxine, fentanyl, Norfentanyl, and caffeine in her system. The medical examiner said the amount of fentanyl in her system was lethal.

Sayre is scheduled to appear in court on January 31. He was released on a $50,000 bond. A judge placed him on house arrest with GPS monitoring. He can only leave the house for court and drug and medical treatments.

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