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[DULUTH, MN] On February 10th 2020, Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigators arrested three men following an investigation into an opioid overdose death that occurred in the City of Duluth on October 22nd 2019. 

On that date, a 41 year old Duluth woman had been found unconscious in her residence in the 1100 block of North Central Avenue and lifesaving efforts by first responders from the Duluth Police Department, Duluth Fire Department and Mayo Ambulance Service were unsuccessful.  An autopsy performed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the deceased’s manner of death was accidental and the cause of death was toxic effects of fentanyl and heroin. 

The three arrested were Jesse Wayne Merrill, 29, of Duluth; Seth Daniel Nelson, 30, of Duluth and Artist Samuel Sanders, 30, of Duluth.  Merrill and Sanders were arrested in Duluth, Nelson was arrested in Hermantown. All three are being held at the St. Louis County Jail on probable cause charges of Aid & Abet 3rd Degree Murder pending formal charges by the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. 

Merrill has previous convictions in Minnesota for Terroristic Threats (felony), Domestic Assault (gross misdemeanor), Violate No Contact Order (misdemeanor), 5th Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance (misdemeanor), False Name to Police (gross misdemeanor), 5th Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance (misdemeanor) and False Name to Police (gross misdemeanor). 

Nelson has previous convictions in Minnesota for Criminal Damage to Property (felony), Receiving Stolen Property (felony) and 3rd Degree Sale of a Controlled Substance (felony).

Sanders has previous convictions in Minnesota for False Name to Police (gross misdemeanor), 5th Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance (gross misdemeanor), Domestic Assault by Strangulation (felony) and 3rd Degree Sale of a Controlled Substance (felony).

The three arrests are the result of a nearly four month long investigation by the Task Force to hold those accountable who profit off the deadly sale of controlled substances, particularly fentanyl.  Duluth Police responded to 15 fatal opioid overdoses and 160 non-fatal opioid overdoses in 2019.  To date in 2020, Duluth Police have responded to two fatal opioid overdoses and 14 non-fatal opioid overdoses.

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