BRIAN:..A 27 YEAR OLD WOMAN -
DEAD AT THE TOP OF A
PLAYGROUND SLIDE IN A GRAND
RAPIDS PARK - FOUND BY A
MOTHER AND
CHILD.MARLEE:..PUBLIC
OVERDOSES ARE HAPPENING MORE
THAN EVER.. EXPOSING DRUG
ADDICTIONS'S VICE GRIP ON WEST
MICHIGAN...
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MARLEE:..IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH
THREAT GRAND RAPIDS POLICE ARE
ATTACKING LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
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BRIAN:..TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR
SUSAN SAMPLES TAKES YOU TO THE
TRENCHES IN THE FIGHT TO
RECLAIM OUR STREETS.
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"THIS IS HAPPENING IN FRONT
OF EVERYONE.." IN A PARK... A
PUBLIC
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IN A PARK... A
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PUBLIC BATHROOM... A PARKING
LOT OUTSIDE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
GROCERY.. ADDICTION DOESN'T
CARE WHERE IT KILLS...
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"SHE WILL NEVER BE
FORGOTTEN... SHE WILL ALWAYS
BE MY BEST FRIEND."ALEX FERRI
AND ANTHONY LOY WANT YOU TO
KNOW --- THE WAY THEIR DEAR
FRIEND áLIVEDá IS MUCH MORE
REMARKEABLE THAN WHERE OR HOW
SHE
áDIED.á SHE WAS SUCH AN
AMAZING PERSON. I JUST WANT
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
THAT SHE WASN'T HER ADDICTION.
IT'S NOT WHO SHE WAS.. " ANNA
MARIE JACKSON WAS BORN IN EAST
GRAND RAPIDS TO PARENTS WHO
BOTH STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION
áANDá PARENTING.. JACKSON WAS
EVENTUALLY ADOPTED BY HER
GRANDPARENTS.. STARTED
DABBLING WITH POT IN HIGH
SCHOOL..
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"SHE ALWAYS CAME OFF LIKE A
VERY VERY HAPPY PERSON BUT
THAT VERY VERY HAPPY PERSON
WAS VERY VERY BROKEN INSIDE."
INTRODUCED TO HEROIN BY OTHER
FRIENDS IN HER EARLY 20'S...
ANNA JACKSON WAS 27, HOMELESS
AND ALONE WHEN A MOM AND CHILD
FOUND HER SLUMPED OVER, UNDER
A CANOPY, AT THE TOP OF A
SLIDE IN GRAND RAPIDS' JOHN
BALL PARK THE MORNING OF JULY
7TH. STILL AROUND HER WRIST -
A HOSPITAL BRACELET - FROM A
VISIT TO SPECTRUM BUTTERWORTH
FOR A PRIOR OVERDOSE ... SIX
HOURS AFTER SPECTRUM RELEASED
HER - ANNA JACKSON WAS DEAD
FROM ANOTHER ACCIDENTAL O.D. -
THIS TIME ON FENTANYL AND
HEROIN. THE HOSPITAL-ISSUED
NARCAN NASAL SPRAY - FOUND IN
HER BELONGINGS - WON'T SAVE
YOU IF YOU'RE USING ALONE.
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ANNA JACKSON'S TROUBLED LIFE
ENDED HERE.. BUT THIS IS WHERE
IT STARTS FOR GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE - WHO TWO YEARS AGO
BEGAN SENDING VICE DETECTIVES
TO EVERY FATAL OVERDOSE
SCENE... VICE COPS USED ANNA'S
CELL PHONE TO TRACK DOWN HER
DEALER.. AND SET UP THEIR OWN
BUY.. ANNA'S CELL PHONE HAD
TEXT MESSAGES SHOWING SHE'D
RECENTLY BOUGHT HEROIN FROM
SOMEONE IDENTIFIED AS QUAZ...
BUT HE ENDED UP SENDING THIS
WOMAN ...
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ARE YOU MISS RAY? TO DELIVER
THE DRUGS TO THE UNDERCOVER
VICE COP... AS SOON AS THE
DEAL WAS DONE...
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POLICE ARRESTED 37 YEAR OLD
NYDIA MONIQUE RAY... WHO -
ACCORDING TO A SEARCH WARRANT
HAD WARNED THE UNDERCOVER
OFFICER TO BE VERY CAREFUL
WITH THE HEROIN FENTANYL MIX
BECAUSE IT COULD KILL HIM.
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"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO ANNA
JACKSON IS? SHE DIED. SHE WAS
A CUSTOMER OF YOURS. NOT A
CUSTOMER OF MINE. (SAY THAT
AGAIN) NOT A CUSTOMER OF
MINE.."
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"SHE DID NOT SELL TO THIS TO
THIS YOUNG LADY AT ALL..."
NYDIA RAY'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY -
KEN STOVALL - SAID WHILE HIS
CLIENT DID SELL TO UNDERCOVER
VICE - AND PLEAD GUILTY TO IT
- RAY áNEVERá SOLD TO ANNA
JACKSON.
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"SHE'S NEVER MET ANNA WHO
PASSED AWAY.. SHE TOLD ME
HERSELF THAT IT'S UNFORTUNATE
THAT THE YOUNG LADY PASSED
AWAY BUT SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH IT." STOVALL DESCRIBED
RAY - WHO HAS A RECORD FOR
DRUG USE AND LARCENY - AS A
VICTIM OF QUAZ - ANNA
JACKSON'S REGULAR DEALER...
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"SHE WAS JUST SENT TO MAKE A
DEAL THAT PARTICULAR DAY ON
HIS BEHALF.. "POLICE WOULD NOT
SAY IF THEY THINK QUAZ HIMSELF
DELIVERED THE DEADLY DRUGS TO
JACKSON - OR JUST ARRANGED IT
- BUT WE DO KNOW THE MAN KNOWN
AS QUAZ IS A CONVICTED HEROIN
DEALER WHO ALSO DID PRISON
TIME FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN WEST
VIRGINA FOR SHOOTING AND
KILLING A MAN.
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"WHAT OUR DETECTIVES ARE
DOING IS TRYING TO MOVE UP
THAT CHAIN.. GET THE BIG
DEALERS.. GET THE BIG
SUPPLIERS.." GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE SGT JOHN WITTKOWSKI
WOULD NOT SAY IF THEY'RE CLOSE
TO GETTING QUAZ- BUT THE
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES - ONE
OF 70 FATAL OVERDOSE CASES
VICE HAS WORKED SINCE IT
STARTED RESPONDING TO THESE
DEATHS TWO YEARS AGO...SO FAR
- 70 INVESTIGATIONS HAVE
NETTED 20 DRUG ARRESTS...
THOUGH NO ONE'S BEEN CHARGED
WITH DELIVERY CAUSING DEATH...
BECAUSE - POLICE SAY - IT'S
OFTEN TOUGH TO PROVE BEYOND
REASONABLE DOUBT WHO DELIVERED
THE FATAL DOSE.
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"THEY MAY BUY DRUGS FROM
MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE
DRUGS MIGHT CHANGE HANDS
MULTIPLE TIMES.. "
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"IT'S NOT GONNA BRING HER
BACK." ANTHONY LOY AND ALEX
FERRI DON'T CARE IF GRPD
ARRESTS ANYONE IN THEIR BEST
FRIEND'S OVERDOSE DEATH...
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"IF IT BROUGHT HER BACK THEN
YEAH.. THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE
DRUG DEALERS." FOR NOW -
THEY'RE WORKING TO BETTER
THEMSELVES.. IT'S WHAT ANNA
WOULD HAVE
WANTED. "SHE DIDN'T FEEL IT
MUCH BUT SHE HAD A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO LOVED HER. JUST NOT
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD
HER." IN GRAND RAPIDS, I'M
TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR SUSAN
SAMPLES.
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