Springfield woman sentenced for distributing fentanyl resulting in death

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday for providing the fentanyl that caused the death of a Springfield man.

Whitney R. Weiherer, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 7, 2023, Weiherer pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl causing death. Weiherer admitted she provided the fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Springfield resident (identified in court documents as “J.W.”).

Springfield police officers were dispatched to J.W.’s apartment on Oct. 22, 2019, after receiving a call from the apartment complex’s property manager who conducted a wellness check at the apartment. Investigators examined J.W.’s cell phone and found several calls and texts with Weiherer on Oct. 5, 2019. Investigators also found photos of Weiherer that were taken the same day inside J.W.’s apartment; he was wearing the same clothes in the photos as he was found in when his body was discovered.

Investigators determined that J.W.’s death likely occurred within 10 to 15 minutes of taking the fentanyl supplied by Weiherer on Oct. 5, 2019, although his body wasn’t discovered until Oct. 22, 2019.

Weiherer had two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and was on probation at the time of the federal offense. Two months later, she was again arrested in possession of drugs, leading to her third felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Eatmon and Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.