Denise Ryder’s son, Dalton, was 19 when he died from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. He had run out of a prescription of hydrocodone for an injury when he reached out to someone he knew to buy a pill to ease the pain. Unbeknownst to him, that one pill was laced with fentanyl and it killed him.

Ryder says she agrees with Iowa House File 792. If the bill makes it through today’s funnel and is signed into law, anyone distributing fentanyl to an individual that results in death could be charged with first-degree murder. First-degree murder in Iowa is a class A felony that can be punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“As a mother who lost my son so senselessly and knowing we were not able to have justice for his death, I pray that those who caused a death by knowingly distributing fentanyl are held accountable for the death they caused,” said Ryder. “A life sentence for the person who caused my son’s death would have at the very least given me the peace of mind that no other family would endure the pain or loss as my family must do.”

The bill passed through the Iowa House last week with bipartisan support and is currently under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It would need to make it through Senate subcommittee and full committee hearings by today, the second funnel deadline of the 2025 legislative session.

-Submitted photo
This was the last photo Denise Ryder had taken with her son, Dalton, before he died of an accidental overdose to fentanyl. Ryder supports House File 792 which would charge the individual that provided the pills with first-degree murder.

“A person addicted to drugs and even a dealer can go through recovery and change their life,” said Ryder. “However, those who knowingly distribute fentanyl and cause a death should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. My son’s life had value. He was loved beyond words.”

While Ryder supports the bill, she also hopes that there will be more accountability when it comes to drug-induced deaths and overdoses.

“Addiction and substance use affects every walk of life,” said Ryder. “It knows no boundaries. Lawmakers, I hope you consider how you would feel if your loved one is the one to pay with their life. Please keep in mind that not all that die from opioids are addicted at the time of their death. That dealer distributing those drugs doesn’t have any regard for that person’s life or family. Perhaps a life sentence would be harsh, but there needs to be more accountability and not just for fentanyl, but any opioid that causes death.”