News

On the 28th day of May 2024, law enforcement responded to Tanner Hospital in Villa Rica in reference to an overdose death. The deceased was identified as Shelby “Clint” Houpe and his cause of death included toxic effects of fentanyl. Mr. Houpe’s parents told law enforcement that Clint had been in and out of drug treatment and had recently tested negative for drugs before being discharged from a center. After his death, Clint’s parents went through Clint’s phone and found messages between Clint and Defendant Brittany Ridley where Clint told the Defendant Ridley, he “had $100 to spend” and phone numbers were exchanged. Pursuant to their investigation, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the Defendant Ridley’s home; it was executed on the 30th day of May 2024. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement found the Defendant Ridley cutting additional fentanyl with baggies, a scale, cut straws, and foil. The Defendant Ridley showed law enforcement where she had more fentanyl in the home. Defendant Ridley was Mirandized and interviewed. The Defendant Ridley admitted to selling Clint fentanyl. The Defendant Ridley stated she got the fentanyl from Defendant Stacy Dobbs. Law enforcement obtained surveillance footage from Paradise Apartments where the Defendant Ridley and Defendant Dobbs can be seen meeting on the camera, exchanging something from hand to hand, and going opposite directions. A short time later, Defendant Ridley can be seen meeting with Clint on the surveillance camera and conducting an additional hand to hand transaction. Defendant Dobbs was arrested, Mirandized, and interviewed. Defendant Dobbs admitted to selling Defendant Ridley the fentanyl.

During the 2024 Session of the Georgia State Legislature, “Austin’s Law” (Senate Bill 465) was passed and signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp in April 2024 and became effective immediately. Austin’s Law created a new Aggravated Involuntary Manslaughter for fentanyl overdose deaths. (see full statute below)

2024 CODE OF GEORGIA
Title 16 CRIMES AND OFFENSES (§§ 16-1-1-16-17-10)
Chapter 5 – CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON (§§ 16-5-1-16-5-110)
Article 1 HOMICIDE (§§ 16-5-1-16-5-5)
Section 16-5-3.1 – Aggravated involuntary manslaughter for fentanyl overdose death
GA Code § 16-5-3.1 (2024)

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

1. “Controlled substance” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 16-13- 21 but shall not include marijuana as defined by such Code section.
2. “Fentanyl” means any substance included under paragraph (13) of Code Section 16-13- 25 or subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) of Code Section 16-13-26.
3. “Fentanyl overdose death” shall mean a death for which the toxic effect of fentanyl was either the sole cause of death or contributed to the cause of death of the human being.
4. “Selling” means to deliver goods for something of value and shall include distributing such goods with an agreement, express or implied, to be compensated with money at a later date.

(b) A person commits the offense of aggravated involuntary manslaughter when he or she causes the fentanyl overdose death of another human being, without the intent to cause the death of said human being, by intentionally manufacturing or selling any substance that contains fentanyl, after representing that such substance was any controlled substance.

(c) A person who commits the offense of aggravated involuntary manslaughter shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than 10 years nor more than 30 years or life imprisonment.

(d) The offense of aggravated involuntary manslaughter shall be considered a separate offense and shall not merge with any other offense.

(e) This Code section shall not apply to any manufacturing or selling of a controlled substance that is authorized in Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, the “Georgia Controlled Substances Act.”

(f) For purposes of any criminal prosecution of violations of this Code section, the defendant’s knowledge of the chemical identity of the substance manufactured or sold shall not be an essential element of the offense, and the state shall not have the burden of proving that a defendant knew the chemical identity of such substance in order to be convicted of an offense under this Code section.

Added by 2024 Ga. Laws 504,§ 2, eff. 4/30/2024.

This case was one of the first charged in the State of Georgia under this new law that makes it a felony punishable by ten to thirty years or life for causing the fentanyl overdose death of another human being, without the intent to case the death, but rather the intent to manufacture or sell any substance that contains fentanyl after representing that the substance is any controlled substance.

The Defendant Stacy Dobbs entered a negotiated plea on Monday, November 3, 2025, in front of Judge Michael Hubbard where he was sentenced to serve forty years with the first twenty years to be in the Department of Corrections on one count of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. The Defendant Brittany Ridley entered a non-negotiated plea on Monday, November 3, 2025, in front of Judge Michael Hubbard where she was sentenced to thirty years to serve the first twelve years in the Department of Corrections on one count of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and two counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute.

We are incredibly thankful to the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit that encompasses officers and deputies from the Carrollton Police Department and the Carrol County Sheriff’s Office. Through their diligent work and effort to gain justice for the family of the victim in this case, they put together a solid and prosecutable case based on this new law promulgated for this very scenario.