Oklahoma County Jail Detainee’s Death Linked to Meth and Fentanyl: Mother Seeks Justice

A mother now knows what caused her son’s death inside the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

The detainee, 31-year-old Derek Strother, died back in February 2024. A medical examiner’s report released this week shows the probable cause was a drug overdose.

Debra Stanton says her son was behind bars for about two months when he died and now considering this report, she wants to know how her son got a hold of highly addictive drugs inside the jail.

“He was a good father,” Stanton said. “He worked hard. He loved his family.”

Four months after her son’s death, Stanton stood in front of the facility where he died demanding answers.

“I'm devastated,” she said. “I never expected my son to die in that jail.” 

A medical examiner’s report gave her some clarity, showing Strother’s probable cause of death was an accident from methamphetamine and fentanyl toxicity.

“I was really appalled that it could happen there in that jail,” she said.

However, the report only led her to more questions, including how often her son was checked while in his cell and how the drugs got inside the detention center.

“It's not coming in by the people who are there, it's coming in by the employees,” Stanton believes. 

Strother was booked on several complaints including second-degree murder and driving under the influence following a deadly crash in northeast Oklahoma City in December 2023. He's among at least five other detainees who have died in jail this year.

“They need to have better security at that place, and they need to start checking out the employees, vet them better,” Stanton said. “They say they're doing all they can, no they're not.”

However, the OCDC announced a multi-agency investigation did uncover wrongdoing when two detention officers, Kaylyn Crawford and Xzavier Nicholson were arrested. They’re accused of smuggling contraband into the jail. But Stanton is still waiting for answers concerning her son.

“I'm not giving up, I'm not going away,” she said.

Stanton says she is now looking for a civil rights attorney to take her case. Meanwhile, the investigation into the jail employees involved multiple agencies including the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. More details on the investigation are expected to be released next in September.