4 people die within days from fentanyl-laced cocaine, including 2 in Marengo; Elgin man charged in overdoses

An Elgin man wanted in connection with the fatal overdoses of two people found in a Marengo home in December is in custody in the Kane County jail and has been charged in the fatal overdoses of two additional people.

In the Marengo deaths, Jarrail Ford-Gresham, 34, is charged with two counts of drug-induced homicide, Class X felonies; criminal conspiracy – manufacturing and delivering 1 to 15 grams of cocaine; and manufacturing and delivering fentanyl, according to a criminal complaint filed in the McHenry County courthouse.

A McHenry County judge issued a warrant for his arrest last month. He was arrested May 28 and charged with two additional counts of drug-induced homicide and two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.

Raoul’s office will prosecute the case alongside the Kane County state’s attorney, according the release. In that case, Ford-Gresham is accused of delivering cocaine laced with fentanyl, killing one person in Elgin and another in Palatine, according to the release. Court records show that he is accused of delivering the fatal doses of cocaine between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 to all four victims, who died within days of each other.

On Nov. 29, Ford-Gresham allegedly delivered a fatal dose of cocaine laced with fentanyl to a 45-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, who both ingested it and later died. They each died accidentally from the adverse effects of fentanyl, McHenry County Deputy Coroner Olivia Zednick said.

The family of the woman who died identified her as Crystal Doyle and said she was the mother of four daughters and a son ranging in age from 21 to 30.

Family members including daughters Alexis, Ariel, Alyssa and Adrianna Doyle described Crystal as witty, honest, loving and willing to help anyone. She taught her children to be kind, empathetic and compassionate. She loved dancing, singing, gardening and cooking, they said.

Alexis Doyle, 24, of Villa Park, said the last time she saw her mother was Nov. 4, when Alexis delivered her daughter, Crystal Doyle’s first grandchild.

“She was super emotional. She said, ‘My baby had a baby,’” Alexis Doyle recalled.

One of the last things she said to her mother was, “See you later, Mom. I love you.”

Ariel Doyle, 21, of Elmhurst, said her mom “would always encourage you to follow your heart, do your own thing. No matter what, she always had your back. ... She had an incredible spirit.”

In an email, Adrianna Doyle, 28, of Florida, said her mom “was creative with being a mother. She took us on adventures and did crafts with us on rainy days. She taught us to see the beauty in everything. ... Her laugh was contagious, and it lit up a room. She could cook anything and cook it well. We miss her cooking!”

Alyssa Doyle, 26, of Oklahoma, said her mother ”saw beauty, even in the darkest of times, and was not afraid to walk in the path less trodden. More often than not, she made her own path, weaving the intricacies of her life through the universe in ways that most could not conceive.”

Michelle Joy Abrams of Colorado, Crystal Doyle’s half-sister said: “Crystal always embraced me and loved me as her own, despite my being adopted. ... She always lifted me up and told me how she would brag about me being her sister, and always made sure I knew I belonged in her life and her heart.”

Crystal Doyle’s mother, Marcia Devine, with whom she lived in Marengo, said her daughter’s death has “broken” her and the family.

“That little piece of the puzzle is going to be gone,” Devine said.

She said her other daughter, Shannon Smith, said she is “very lonely without her.”

“I miss her spirit. She was actually a wonderful person. There was no middle: People either disliked her or loved her,” Devine said. “She was the first person to give a coat off her back, which she actually did. She was a wonderful person. Her loss will be felt until the day I die.”

Of such drug-related deaths, Devine said: “This has to stop. This isn’t only in Marengo; this is all over ... affecting kids, parents, old people, society in general. Everybody somewhere has somebody that has some kind of issue, and it needs to be addressed.”

It is unclear when Ford-Gresham will be transferred to McHenry County to address the Marengo charges. Only five days before allegedly selling the drugs that killed the two people in Marengo, Ford-Gresham ended a term of mandatory supervised release on a previous conviction.