Bemidji Woman Charged With Murder in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose Case

Sarrell Marie Jack, 35, of Bemidji was charged with third-degree murder and third-degree drug possession after authorities say she sold fentanyl that killed a woman on Jan. 18. Jack remains in custody at the Beltrami County Jail following her arrest two days later.

According to charging documents, Bemidji Ambulance personnel responded to a medical call and managed to regain a pulse on the victim before transporting her to the hospital. Witnesses at the scene, including a 5-year-old child who told responders the victim was asleep in the bathroom, helped direct officers. Multiple witnesses told police the victim had been in contact with Jack earlier that day. Investigators confirmed those accounts through social media messages and access to the victim's phone. Hospital staff notified investigators the following day that the woman had died from a drug overdose.

Social media messages recovered by investigators showed the victim asking that drugs be placed inside something because her younger sister was driving and "don't know none about drugs." The account she was messaging responded by asking whether she wanted "SLO," a street term for fentanyl. The victim confirmed.

Police obtained a search warrant and executed it at Jack's residence on Rako Street on Jan. 19. The search turned up more than 10 grams of methamphetamine, over 1 gram of fentanyl, a digital scale with white residue, multiple Narcan doses, and a makeup box matching the description provided by witnesses.

Jack was arrested early Jan. 20 after officers found her hiding in a vehicle under a pile of household items. She denied any knowledge of the drugs but acknowledged she had lived at the Rako Street address for three years. She made her first court appearance the following Wednesday morning.

Court records show Jack carries prior felony convictions for first-degree DWI and fifth-degree drug possession. The third-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years or a $40,000 fine; the drug possession count carries up to 20 years or a $250,000 fine.

The case is one of several fentanyl-related prosecutions to emerge from Beltrami County in recent years. Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson, speaking in connection with an earlier case, said fentanyl "continues to be one of the largest dangers in the community." Jeffrey Needham was convicted of third-degree murder in connection with a separate fatal overdose on Itasca Loop Northwest in April 2023, and Cameron Luadtke received a 74-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to third-degree murder in another county fentanyl case.

The Beltrami County Attorney's Office has not issued a public statement specific to the charges against Jack. Formal charging documents, upcoming court dates, and any bond status had not been confirmed as of this report.