Three years after an Olathe woman’s death, her family is thankful that she’s finally getting justice.
On Feb. 5 in Johnson County District Court, Treger M. Samuels, 22, was sentenced to seven years in prison for distribution of drugs causing death in the fatal overdose of Ericka Grigsby, 20, on Feb. 13, 2023.
Samuels pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 12, 2025. Judge Jason Billam handed down the sentence.
The sentence brought some closure to Grigsby’s family, who have been seeking justice for her since her fatal overdose, even if it will never feel like enough of a punishment.
“We still don’t understand how a seven-year sentence was given for a loss of life. It’s just not right. My family is heartbroken,” Bert Grigsby, Ericka’s father, wrote in a statement to the Johnson County Post.
He added: “We have waited three long years for the case to reach its conclusion and while we understand the legal process and the plea agreement reached, no sentence will ever feel proportionate to the loss of our daughter Ericka.”
Grigsby died after a Chiefs celebration
On Feb. 13, 2023, Grigsby invited friends over to her family home to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, according to her family.
When the celebration ended and her friends left, Grigsby’s father and brother discovered her deceased on the family couch.
In April 2024, the felony charge was filed against Samuels in Grigsby’s death. It is not clear how the two knew each other.
Grigsby was an Olathe West graduate
Grigsby’s family described her as a kind and funny person who was deeply loved by all who knew her. She loved photography, the show “Supernatural” and collecting shoes.
After graduating from Olathe West High School with the Class of 2021, she had plans on pursuing either veterinary work or becoming a lawyer, Bert Grigsby said.
“She had a bright future ahead of her … Those dreams were stolen from her on February 14th, 2023,” he said.
Red shirts, 5Ks, and other ways to honor Grigsby
Since Grigsby’s death, the family continues to honor her memory in a variety of ways.
Every year, they show up as “The Red Shirt Brigade” to participate in the Fighting Fentanyl 5K Run/Walk, a fundraiser started by Libby Davis to honor her son, Cooper Davis, a 16-year-old who died of an accidental overdose in 2021.
“My family has done everything to turn this tragedy into the best it can be, to use it to inspire us and help others,” Logan Grigsby, her brother, wrote on a social media post.
They are also hoping to set up a scholarship in Grigsby’s name at Olathe West.
Grigsby’s family joins others grieving someone who died from fentanyl
Samuels’ conviction is the latest in a number of cases involving fentanyl overdoses in Johnson County, especially with young people.
On Jan. 29, Gerrell M. McKoy, of Olathe, was sentenced to 184 months in prison for one count distribution of drugs causing death in the accidental overdose death of Michael Danilov, 25, of Olathe.
Also in January, Steven Cutler, 36, of Olathe, was charged with nine felonies for allegedly selling drugs that resulted in the death of a 32-year-old man in March 2025. He has a status conference hearing on at 9 a.m. on March 9.
In 2024, Andrew Piotrowski, the father of Olivia Piotrowski, a Shawnee Mission East High School student who died from an accidental fentanyl overdose a few years ago, established the Piotrowski Indoor Facility, a private youth sports training facility in Lenexa to honor her memory.
While Grigsby’s family continues to grieve, they also are asking for more justice for those who died from fentanyl overdoses.
“I hope more families find justice for the loved ones they have lost,” Logan Grigsby wrote in a post on social media.
Other Johnson County court news: Olathe man gets 15 years in prison in fatal fentanyl overdose case
