Teen to be tried as adult after alleged drug deal turns deadly: 'Just have a bucket near you'

A Missouri teenager is currently in custody and facing a bevy of serious charges, including second-degree murder, after a 16-year-old acquaintance of his died of an apparent drug overdose.

On the morning of September 4, the parents of 16-year-old high school sophomore Victoria Jones found their daughter unresponsive in her bed in their home in Ozark, Missouri, just south of Springfield. By the time emergency medical teams arrived, Victoria had already passed away. A medical examiner later determined that Victoria — nicknamed "Vic" — was found with foam in her throat and a series of illegal and controlled substances — including ecstasy and fentanyl — in her system. The autopsy report indicates that the amount of fentanyl she ingested could have been fatal, though it stopped short of calling fentanyl poisoning the official cause of death.

Investigators claim that they found on Victoria's nightstand a credit card, a rolled up $20 bill, and a blue pill which had been cut. She had also written a letter that evening to an unidentified friend. In the letter, Victoria reportedly admitted to having used drugs while she was in the midst of writing it. Reports indicate that the letter abruptly ended with either "I'm planning" or "I plan."

Investigators also claimed that, shortly before 11:30 p.m. on September 3, Victoria had gone outside to meet a "friend," who was later identified as 17-year-old Jacob Sayre. The teens were either mere acquaintances or casual friends who had met at church. Police say they uncovered a Snapchat conversation between Victoria and Sayre from that night. During their conversation, Victoria expressed frustration that she had taken the pill Sayre had allegedly just given her but that it did not seem to be working. Sayre then allegedly gave her advice on how to snort the drugs.

"Just have a bucket near you and only snort a half, and it’s just one," Sayre allegedly wrote to Victoria that night. "Only do a quarter and then do the other quarter if you don’t feel it."

When questioned by police, Sayre supposedly admitted to giving Victoria a pill but that he did not know it was drugs. There is some indication that Sayre may have believed that a dealer had recently given him a Percocet pill, disguised as a Tylenol, which Sayre then passed along to Victoria. Percocet is a highly potent opioid often prescribed as a painkiller.

In his brief conversation with police, Sayre allegedly stated that he had spoken to Victoria on the phone the night she died and that she had sounded "out of it" but nothing to cause him any alarm. Sayre's parents then ended the interview because they wanted to be present during further questioning. A search of Sayre's vehicle did not yield any evidence.

Sayre was arrested Thursday and booked in Christian County Jail. He has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child - death of a child - no sexual contact, and delivery of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoid. He is currently free on $50,000 bond, though he has been placed on house arrest and may leave his residence only for court appearances and medical and/or drug treatment. He is due in court again on January 31. He is being tried as an adult.

In recent days, Victoria's mother, Wendie Glass Jones, took to social media to vent her frustration about Sayre's release from jail.

"[M]y daughter was dead because of what he gave her. Ecstasy laced with a deadly amount of Fentanyl was what he gave her. He made NO ATTEMPT to help her when she called him.....Didn't alert us, didn't call 911, didn't do anything, He Let Her Die! I sincerely Hope and pray that there is a special place in Hell for people that are this Evil!" her message read in part.