A 20-year-old Nantucket woman was found dead Tuesday night after what is believed to have been a fatal overdose from fentanyl. An island resident has been arrested and charged for allegedly providing her with the dangerous synthetic opioid.
The tragic events were described in Nantucket District Court Wednesday morning, when Timothy Tanana-Nye, 28, was arraigned on charges of distribution and possession of fentanyl. There were outpourings of grief and remembrances on social media for the victim, a 2019 graduate of Nantucket High School.
During Wednesday’s arraignment hearing, which was held via Zoom, Assistant District Attorney Max Mitrokostas said police and EMTs were called to an island residence for a drug overdose where they discovered Tanana-Nye performing CPR on the unresponsive woman. First responders administered Narcan to the victim at the scene – an apartment in the new Richmond Great Point development off Old South Road – but she was not breathing and had no pulse by the time they arrived, according to the statement of facts filed with the court by the Nantucket Police Department. The woman was pronounced dead at Nantucket Cottage Hospital.
In their report, police stated the responding officers observed a white powdery substance on a bureau in the bedroom of the apartment. A search warrant was obtained later Tuesday night, and officers discovered additional evidence, including a small baggie believed to be fentanyl hidden in bag of dog food.
Tanana-Nye’s attorney, Jenny Margeson, claimed he was in a relationship with the victim and said the distribution charge was not appropriate given the circumstances.
“This is a horrendous situation,” Margeson said. “My client is very clearly grieving the loss of his girlfriend.”
Tanana-Nye remains in custody after Judge Thomas Barrett set bail at $7,500, and revoked his bail from a previous larceny case that is still pending.
