A 31-year-old Volusia County man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in February.
According to the Edgewater Police Department, the victim in this case died in Edgewater on February 2, 2025. An investigation was launched, and EPD detectives determined that the victim’s death was caused by a fentanyl overdose.
The investigation spanned several months and eventually led detectives to identifying Edgewater resident Zachary Tyler Motley as “the supplier of the fentanyl that led to this death,” according to police.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, and its effects are “50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine,” according to the Florida Department of Health. Since fentanyl is “nearly impossible to detect by sight, taste, or smell,” health officials state that “many users are unaware they are consuming it, putting them at risk of [a] deadly overdose.”
Motley was already in custody at Volusia County Jail on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the manslaughter charge. Those unrelated charges stem from a search warrant that was executed earlier this year at his residence located in the 1600 block of Royal Palm Drive in Edgewater.
During the search of Motley’s home, high quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine were allegedly found, and Motley was arrested on drug trafficking charges and booked into the jail on March 11, 2025.
EPD stated that placing Motley under arrest for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking “gave detectives critical leverage to push the overdose investigation forward, ultimately resulting in the manslaughter charge filed by the State Attorney’s Office.”
Motley was formally served with the manslaughter warrant while in custody at Volusia County Jail.
“Fentanyl kills and dealers are our targets,” said the Edgewater Police Department in a social media post. “We will not stop. If you push poison into this community, we will find you.”