Greenwood police report 1st 'gray death' overdose

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Johnson County authorities are warning residents about a lethal opioid mix called “gray death” that has been found in Greenwood.

Gray death is a new “drug cocktail” that looks like concrete, which is where it gets its name. It contains a deadly mixture of heroin, fentanyl, elephant tranquilizer carfentanil, and a synthetic opioid called U-47700, Fox59 reports. 

Greenwood police tell FOX59 that Hanna Richard, 19, and Brandon DeBlaso, 20, received gray death instead of the heroin they intended to purchase. The couple snorted the drug, and Richard immediately overdosed. Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matt Fillenwarth said officers revived Richard using Narcan.

Richard and DeBlaso were charged with possession of paraphernalia, but the charges will be dismissed if the couple goes through Greenwood’s Recovery Court program.

This is the first overdose case involving gray death that police have reported in the state. Overdoses from the drug have also been reported in Ohio, Georgia, and Alabama.

Fillenwarth says reactions to the drug are varied, but for some people, just one microgram can be deadly.

Most users inject, swallow, smoke, or snort the drug. It can also be absorbed through the skin which is why law enforcement wears protective gear when they come in contact with the mix.

Right now, law enforcement continues to focus on patrolling local highways and roads to intercept the drug as it enters the state. Officials hope this warning about the dangerous drug mixture saves a life.