Rhode Island man facing up to life in prison after fatal overdose of 35-year-old mother

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Tuesday that a Pawtucket man has been convicted in Providence County Superior Court of multiple felony drug possession and distribution charges, including delivering fentanyl that resulted in the death of 35-year-old Tokie Zammerelli in 2022. This case marks the first trial and the first conviction after trial under Kristen’s Law.

On Tuesday, following the conclusion of a five-day trial before Superior Court Justice William Carnes, the Court found 44-year-old Walik Morrison guilty of one count of delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death (Kristin’s Law), one count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver parafluorofentanyl, one count of possession with intent to deliver tramadol, one count of possession with intent to deliver xylazine, one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of possession of one ounce to one kilogram of paraflourofentanyl, fentanyl, xylazine, and tramadol.

Morrison is currently being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 24, 2025.

“The proliferation of fentanyl in our communities is an immediate and extraordinary public health crisis,” said Attorney General Neronha. “When we focus our drug enforcement efforts on those driving the supply and distribution in our state, especially those whose clients end up dead, we are addressing root causes of multiple drug-related crises plaguing our communities. Tokie’s son lost his mother because of this defendant, and I am grateful to the judge for ensuring this defendant will pay a high price for his crimes. Finally, I want to the Pawtucket Police for their hard work and partnership on this case and so many others.”

During the trial, the State proved that on January 25, 2022, Morrison possessed several illegal narcotics and delivered a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl to a 35-year-old Pawtucket mother, resulting in her death by overdose. 

On January 25, 2022, Zammerelli contacted Morrison to request a delivery of cocaine. He delivered a powdered substance to her soon after her request, then left the property. Several hours after Zammerelli ingested the substance, her husband found her unresponsive. Pawtucket Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and after several attempts at revival, pronounced her dead.

Autopsy results revealed that Zammerelli died of cocaine and fentanyl intoxication, the report noting that the level of fentanyl in her blood was more than three times the average fentanyl level that typically results in death. After recovering Zammerelli’s cell phone, investigators discovered text messages between her and Morrison. Soon thereafter, investigators began surveilling Morrison and obtained a warrant to search his residence. On February 15, 2022, detectives executed the search warrant, locating and seizing large amounts of fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, tramadol, and xylazine in pill form. They also recovered a small amount of cocaine and a large amount of marijuana.

Subsequently, investigators interviewed Morrison after his arrest, at which time he admitted to crushing up fentanyl pills and delivering powdered fentanyl to the victim instead of the cocaine she requested.

“I am thankful to the men and women of the Pawtucket Police Department and their commitment to fighting the distribution of illegal narcotics,” said Chief Tina Goncalves of the Pawtucket Police Department. “Through our partnership with the Attorney General’s Office, we will continue our efforts to deter the flow of drugs and keep our communities safe.”

Kristen’s Law, which specifies controlled substance delivery resulting in death, carrys a penalty of up to life in prison. In April 2017, Aaron Andrade pleaded to one count of second-degree murder for selling fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose to 29-year-old Kristen Coutu, of Cranston, RI.

Assistant Attorney General John Perrotta and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Scott Sullivan, formerly of the Pawtucket Police Department, led the investigation and prosecution of the case.