WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – An Austin man is facing a felony murder charge in Williamson County in connection with a 2025 fentanyl-related death in Thrall.
33-year-old Garrett Wise was taken into custody on March 19.
What they’re saying:
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is set to speak on Wise’s case today (March 25) at 1:15 p.m. at the sheriff’s office in Georgetown.
Sheriff Matthew Lindemann is expected to speak alongside members of the WCSO Organized Crime Unit, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Angel Moms and Texas Against Fentanyl.
The backstory:
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit has been actively investigating the death of Jensen Anders.
30-year-old Anders died on March 15, 2025, at a home on County Road 433 in Thrall.
Officials say that based on the investigation, Wise was allegedly involved in the distribution of fentanyl that resulted in Anders’ death. Wise was taken into custody after a warrant was issued.
Officials say Wise was found to be in possession of additional alleged fentanyl at the time he was apprehended.
Wise is still in the Williamson County Jail on a $500,000 bond and another charge out of Travis County for second-degree felony aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury from April 2020.
Fentanyl-related deaths in Texas
Dig deeper:
In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 6, which means in Texas, if someone distributes or manufactures fentanyl that results in someone’s death, that person can be prosecuted for murder.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also maintains a fentanyl dashboard, which shows that since the law was signed, Texas has seen a decrease in fentanyl poisoning deaths.Â
In 2023, Texas saw 2,307 deaths from fentanyl poisoning, which accounted for 45.3% of all “unintentional” drug poisoning deaths. That number dropped to 1,667 or 37.5% in 2024 and then 919 or 33% in 2025. The information is based on death certificate data with Texas DSHS.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, court records and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.