Plea Deal in Drug Overdose Death of Willmar Man

(Learfield News/Willmar, MN) — A woman from Chippewa County reached a plea deal with Kandiyohi County prosecutors in the drug-related death of a Willmar man.

Officials say 21-year-old Mercedes Carpenter of Maynard entered an Alford plea to second-degree manslaughter and five other charges were dismissed, including third-degree murder.

Carpenter will be sentenced on July 14th.

Court records say Carpenter and co-defendant, Lateef Mahaffey, Junior of Benson, worked together to sell drugs to the victim in September of 2022.

The man was later found dead in his bathtub and the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.