Arrest made in fentanyl overdose death of US Army veteran in DeKalb County Jail

The family of U.S. Army veteran Christon Collins shows multiple photos of the bruises on his body at a press conference.
The family of U.S. Army veteran Christon Collins shows photos of the bruises on his body and says they want the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office to release the video showing his final hours in jail at a press conference on Monday, July 23, 2024. (Chamian Cruz/WABE)

An inmate has been charged for allegedly selling drugs laced with fentanyl to a 27-year-old Army veteran, who died in March after ingesting them and falling and hitting his head while they were both in the DeKalb County Jail.

Over the summer, Christon Collins’ family pushed for an investigation into his death, when they said they discovered several inconsistencies in the county’s reports about the incident.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston agreed. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, a grand jury indicted 45-year-old Tobias Woods on four counts, including felony murder, two counts of distribution of a Schedule II substance and items prohibited for possession by inmates.

“Being in jail should not be a death sentence, and crimes that happen inside the jail will not be ignored just because the people impacted are behind bars,” Boston said during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 21.