A West End man has been arrested in connection with the 2024 overdose death of a 24-year-old woman, following a yearlong investigation by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Ronnie Fields announced the arrest of 42-year-old Brandon Scott Thomas after a grand jury indicted him on a charge of felony death by distribution by delivery with malice.

Deputies first responded to the 1000 block of Lucas Road in West End on July 3, 2024, for a report of a possible overdose. When they arrived, they found Emily Elizabeth Seawell, 24, suffering from an apparent drug overdose. Despite lifesaving efforts by Moore County EMS, Seawell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives later identified Thomas as the person suspected of providing fentanyl to Seawell, according to the Sheriff Fields. After an autopsy and toxicology review by the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office, investigators confirmed that Seawell’s death was caused by a fentanyl overdose.

Following the grand jury indictment on October 6, 2025, detectives arrested Thomas a week later on October 13. He was taken to the Moore County Detention Center, where he remains held under a $1 million secured bond. His court date is set for October 30, 2025.

Sheriff Fields offered condolences to Seawell’s family, saying his office continues to keep them in their thoughts and prayers.

“Although Emily is no longer with us, we hope that the indictment in this case will provide her family with some measure of relief, knowing that someone has been held accountable,” Fields said.

Any person facing charges is innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty in court.