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KSL Newsradio's Randall Jeppeson reportingA group of Utah County parents who lost their children to heroin overdoses will launch a website this week to offer bounties for information about drug dealers.
Lance Merrill's daughter went to rehab to stop using heroin, but when she got out her drug dealer came back. Now she's dead.
"He had called my daughter 37 times the weekend she overdosed," said Merrill.
He gave police the dealer's name and number, and where the dealer lived, but months later the dealer was still selling, so Merrill offered a bounty.
"And four hours later, [the dealer] Chris was in jail," said Merrill.
This week Merrill will launch Dads Against Drug Dealers, where a $500 bounty will be paid for anonymous information on local drug dealers that leads to a conviction. Other parents who lost children are joining the effort.
"I would rather no parent get the phone call we got," said Merrill. "I do not want any parents to have to go through that."
Merrill says anyone wanting to help in the fight can make donations towards bounties at Far West Bank.
