Hutto Woman Charged with Murder in Fentanyl-Related Death

The Williamson County sheriff's office has charged a Hutto woman with murder in the fentanyl-related death of a 30-year-old man, an arrest affidavit said. Crystal Perez, 26, faces up to 99 years in prison if convicted of the first-degree felony. The man who died of the overdose was 30-year-old Michael Ackerman of Hutto, according to the affidavit released Friday.

Detectives were alerted on Oct. 6 that Ackerman had died of a possible overdose, the affidavit said. It said they found a small rock-like substance in Ackerman's bedroom at a home in Hutto that later tested positive for fentanyl. Investigators later found text messages on Ackerman's phone that showed him negotiating with a woman, later identified as Perez, to buy fentanyl at her home at 202 Creston St. on the day before he died, according to the affidavit. They also found records on his phone that he had taken an Uber ride to her home on Oct. 5, the affidavit said.

An autopsy report that detectives received in January showed that Ackerman had died of fentanyl-related causes. When a detective talked to Perez in April she initially said she didn't know Ackerman, the affidavit said. She later said she knew Ackerman through a friend and had texted Ackerman but had never sold drugs to him, according to the document.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that sometimes is prescribed legally for pain management but can be fatal when used illegally because even small amounts can kill a person. Two milligrams, equal to about 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is enough to kill somebody, according to Texas Health and Human Services.

Under a state law that became effective in September 2023, a person can be charged with murder if through their drug distribution or dealing of fentanyl someone else dies. If they are convicted, the minimum sentence is 15 years.