Woman Faces Murder Charge

The Wharton County Grand Jury has indicted Samantha Nicole Martinez, 35, from El Campo, on a murder charge tied to fentanyl. Prosecutors say Martinez knowingly provided the drug that caused the February overdose death of 34-year-old Destinee Lynette Pesina near El Campo. This case is among the first under a new Texas law targeting fentanyl-related deaths. Martinez has been jailed since her April arrest on a $300,000 bond and could face up to 99 years in prison if convicted. She is the second El Campo resident charged with fentanyl-related murder.