Grieving Coast family believes Parker's Law will help get fentanyl off the streets - WLOX

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - When Gov. Tate Reeves signed Parker’s Law two weeks ago, Crystal Bradley had something positive to hold on to.

“I am very much for Parker’s Law,” she said. “My daughter deserves justice. My daughter’s life mattered.”

Her daughter, Laura Bradley, had been using drugs for about a year and a half. She had been through rehabilitation in Florida from April 2017 to July 2020.

She came back to the coast with a sober foundation and hope for the future as well as to be back with her son, Joe Joe.

However, she had a relapse, and on May 24, 2021, the day before her 27th birthday, she died of an overdose. The killer? Fentanyl.

“The amount of fentanyl she had in her system was just crazy...it was so high.”

Under Parker’s Law, if a sale of fentanyl directly results in an overdose death, the person charged with distributing it could face 20 years to life in prison.

Bradley said she knows who sold her daughter the drug. She believes her daughter didn’t know the drug she bought had fentanyl, and she doesn’t believe her daughter’s death was intentional.

“She wanted to live. She wanted to be a mom,” Bradley said through tears. “This is not how we had seen her life ending...it’s not easy, because her passing has affected all of us so much.”

The case is still under investigation, but Bradley is not sure the new law will apply for her.

“Even if it doesn’t help my child, the person’s probably still out there doing what he’s doing,” she said. “It’s going to take someone else’s child.”

Laura’s older sister Suzanne Sailors is still reeling from the loss.

“Each month, you think it might get a little bit better...” she said. “...but then there’s that one day. That one song that comes on and it just hits you like a ton of bricks. Sometimes you cry in the shower. Sometimes you cry on that short drive to work. Then you just toughen it up and endure the rest of the day.”

In the meantime, Bradley is preparing a photo album for Laura’s 7-year-old son, of whom she has legal guardianship.

She also created special bear and used a Christmas phone message from Laura, so he can always know her voice.

“I already miss you,” she said in the message. “I love you, baby. Have a good day. Merry Christmas.”

The law becomes effective July 1.

Bradley said she wants to be an advocate for other families going through the same thing.

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source: https://www.wlox.com/2022/05/04/grieving-coast-family-believes-parkers-law-will-help-get-fentanyl-off-streets/

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