A Tarrant County jury has sentenced Jacob Wayne Lindsay, 48, to life in prison after convicting him of murder for distributing drugs that led to the fatal overdose of 26-year-old Brandon Harrison. This marks the first fentanyl-related murder conviction in Tarrant County under a new Texas law targeting deadly drug distribution.
Brandon Harrison died on September 18, 2023, in Fort Worth after ingesting a lethal mix of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Investigators found that Lindsay had sold the drugs that caused Harrison’s death, leading to his indictment and trial under the law that went into effect on September 1, 2023.
“This conviction and sentence send a clear and powerful message,” said Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells. “If you manufacture or distribute fentanyl that causes the death of another person, we will charge you with murder.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michael Ferry and Sarah Bruner of the DA’s Narcotics Prosecution Unit, launched in 2023 to focus on high-impact drug cases.
Brandon’s father, Richard Harrison, also responded to the outcome: “This sends a message to all the Jacob Lindsays out there. If you sell fentanyl and someone dies, you are going to forfeit your right to live among us for the rest of your life.”
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is approved for medical use but is often illegally manufactured. Just two milligrams — about the size of a few grains of salt — can be fatal.
Lindsay is the first defendant in Tarrant County to go to trial under the law. The first sentencing under the statute was in October 2024, when Kaeden Farish, 19, of Azle, pled guilty to murder after selling fentanyl-laced pills that killed a 17-year-old. Farish received a 19-year sentence.
The District Attorney’s Office recognized the efforts of DA Investigator Sean Wheetley, Victim Coordinator Imelda Lopez, and the Fort Worth Police Department Narcotics Section for their work in this landmark case.
