A Grandview, Mo., man faces six felony counts in Johnson County in connection to the death of a Shawnee Mission East High School senior nearly two years ago.
Counts relate to 2021 death of SM East student
The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office last week charged Cameron Bryant, 27, with one count of distributing an illegal drug that caused the death of 18-year-old Olivia Piotrowski.
Bryant is also charged with five more felony counts of using a cell phone to facilitate the commission of the drug distribution crime, according to court documents.
The criminal complaint says on or between Sept. 15 or Sept. 16, 2021, Bryant “did intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly distribute a controlled substance and/or controlled substances which caused the death of” Piotrowski.
The complaint says the five other counts related to Bryant’s use of the cell phone all occurred in the months leading up to Piotrowski’s death, dating back to as early as July 23, 2021.
Bryant made his first appearance in Johnson County District Court on Thursday. His bond is now set at $250,000.
He remains in the custody of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, according to a search of online inmate records.
His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
DA Howe links case to fentanyl epidemic
In comments made to Fox 4, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe called Bryant’s crimes a “fentanyl situation” and noted the ongoing spike in fentanyl and other opioid-related deaths in the county.
He said oftentimes, victims are crushing up pills to ingest or snort them, not knowing they are counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.
“I would ask parents [to] talk to their kids,” Howe told Fox 4. “They need to talk to them about, ‘Don’t take a pill from a friend or an associate in school who says it may make you feel better,’ because it could lead to your death.”
The death of another Johnson County teen from fentanyl, Cooper Davis, 16, of Shawnee, prompted a federal push to require social media companies to disclose more information to law enforcement about suspected illegal trafficking happening on their platforms.
Davis, according to accounts shared by his mother Libby, died after taking a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl that he thought was Percocet, a pain reliever.
The Cooper Davis Foundation, started by the Mill Valley student’s family, now promotes awareness of “illicit fentanyl and fake pills” to young people and their families. The organization hosts an annual “Fighting Fentanyl” 5K race that is set for later this month.
Piotrowski a ‘unique beauty inside and out’
According to her obituary, Piotrowski died at her home on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021.
“She was a unique beauty inside and out,” who ran cross country for SM East, the obituary says. “She loved family, fashion, art, photography, and travel. She was known for her stunning red hair and her immense beauty.”
The obituary said Piotrowski’s dream was to move to California, pursue modeling and live by the beach.
A tribute published in the SM East student newspaper, The Harbinger, in May 2022 said, “Olivia was the type of friend who always bounced off the walls, but she also spread that magnetic energy that made her friends want to bounce off the walls, too. When [one friend] would lie on her bed to laze around and watch a movie, Olivia sat on top of her until she was willing to get up and try something new. Their adventures were as limitless as Olivia.”
It went on:
“Since her passing, every one of her close friends has dedicated their senior year to live a life full of laughter, taking care of their loved ones and embracing every opportunity — just like Olivia did — in remembrance of her.”
