- The FEAR Act creates specific charges for fentanyl-related crimes, with sentences up to 30 years.
- Austin Walters died from a single counterfeit pill in 2021; his parents helped pass two new Georgia laws.
- Watch the video to hear Austin's story.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As families across Georgia prepare for summer, one Valdosta couple is spending theirs looking through photo albums—remembering a son taken too soon.
Austin Walters was 30, funny and full of life.
"He was a jovial fella, he had quite a wit about him, his personality, and he's the kind of guy that had lots of friends in this world."
However, his parents, Beth and Gus Walters, tell me he struggled with anxiety and depression later in his adult life.
Due to that, in September 2021, Austin bought what he thought was a Xanax from a street dealer to try to relax. But it was laced with fentanyl.
"It killed him. Just that one pill... just one pill."
Beth and Gus Walters say after their son died, the person who sold him the pill couldn't be charged with more than a misdemeanor.
"We buried our child. Now we're going to get the drug dealer. They did all of their investigating and basically came back and told us that the most they could do would be to charge the person with a misdemeanor and it wasn't worth the time and the effort to pursue the case.."
Determined to make sure no other family goes through this, the Walters worked with State Senator Russ Goodman to create Austin's Law and the FEAR Act—both now signed into Georgia law.
The FEAR Act establishes specific charges for fentanyl-related crimes, with penalties reaching up to 30 years in prison.
"The grief journey never stops, but with time, it gets easier"
The Walters now run "Austin's Promise," a campaign for education, awareness, and prevention. Their son may be gone, but through their work, his legacy lives on.
In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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