2 North Alabama teens charged in 2017 overdose death

Published 1:33 pm Thursday, March 22, 2018

GRANT — The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in connection with an overdose death that occurred nearly a year ago, according to a WAFF-48 report.

The incident in question took place on April 23, 2017. Guntersville Fire/Rescue and police were dispatched to the scene of an unresponsive female in a vehicle on Hwy. 431.

Email newsletter signup

An investigation revealed that the 18-year-old died of an earlier overdose at a home on Old Union Rd. in Grant.

Rather than call 911 immediately, the two other individuals at the residence waited an extended period of time before attempting to transport her to a local hospital.

They ran out of gas near a Mapco station in downtown Guntersville and abandoned the vehicle.

The investigation also revealed that a photo of the deceased woman had been posted to social media prior to her being moved to the vehicle.

Nearly 11 months later, sheriff’s investigators forwarded the case to the District Attorney for review.

This week a Marshall County Grand Jury indicted John Garret Guffey, 19, and Lillie Marie Cooper, 18, both of Grant for criminally negligent homicide and abuse of a corpse.

Both are in the Marshall County Jail where they are each being held on a $10,000 bond.