BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — Two people have been charged following a months-long investigation into the overdose death of a Beckley man after investigators say heroin containing fentanyl was delivered to the victim the night before he was found dead.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a residence in Beckley on the morning of April 3, 2026, after a caregiver discovered the victim deceased in his bed.
The caregiver told officers she arrived at the home shortly before 9 a.m. and found the man cold to the touch and not breathing. She also reported finding an empty prescription bottle for Oxycodone 5 mg that had been filled with 20 pills just days earlier, as well as another empty Oxycodone bottle near the bed.
Investigators said the home showed no signs of forced entry or foul play. The victim was found lying in bed with his cellphone still in his hand.
While examining the phone, detectives discovered a series of calls and text messages between the victim and a woman later identified as Jennifer Gillum.
According to investigators, the victim sent Gillum a voice message pleading with her to call him. Gillum later replied by text, asking, “How much you want?” Police say the term “food” referenced in the conversation is commonly used as slang for heroin.
Detectives also discovered a $49 Cash App payment sent to the victim later that night from Gillum’s account.
During the investigation, officers interviewed a witness who said the victim had initially asked him for $30. However, when the witness returned with the money, the victim reportedly said he no longer needed it because “she had change,” leading the witness to believe a woman had arrived to provide him with pain pills.
The witness also reported seeing an SUV back into the victim’s driveway that evening and watching a woman get out and enter the residence.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and identified the vehicle as a red Jeep Renegade registered in West Virginia. Additional video allegedly showed Gillum riding in the front passenger seat.
During an interview with investigators on May 8, Gillum admitted she went to the victim’s home that night. According to the complaint, she told detectives she went to help him clean up after his dog because he had been experiencing severe pain.
Gillum also admitted the victim had been seeking heroin and acknowledged bringing heroin to the residence. She told investigators the two split a “stamp,” a street term typically referring to about one-tenth of a gram of heroin.
Gillum claimed the victim already possessed heroin before she arrived and stated he was not in medical distress when she left.
However, investigators said a review of the victim’s cellphone showed no activity after Gillum departed, despite the phone remaining in his hand when he was later found dead.
Police also questioned Gillum about the $49 Cash App payment sent later that night. According to the complaint, she claimed the transaction was accidental.
Gillum told detectives she had been driven to the residence by Adam Danell, whom she referred to as “Red.” Investigators later identified Danell through cellphone records.
Authorities said Danell declined multiple requests for an interview. Search warrants for cellphone records and location data allegedly showed Gillum and Danell traveling together from Sophia to the victim’s residence shortly after Gillum’s text asking how much “food” the victim wanted.
The State Medical Examiner later determined the victim died from an overdose of pregabalin, diphenhydramine and fentanyl.
Based on the investigation, Jennifer Gillum has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death. Authorities also charged Adam Danell with the same offense, alleging he acted as an accessory before the fact by transporting Gillum to the victim’s residence for the purpose of delivering the narcotics.
The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
