Texas men charged with murder in Alabama man’s synthetic marijuana death

Two Texas men accused of giving an Alabama banker on vacation a dangerous form of synthetic marijuana have been indicted in his November 2019 death.

Treylon Raynerd Jenkins and Keandre Keshaw Howard, both 22 and from Dallas, are charged with murder in the death of Seth Aaron Dickey, 30, of Tuscaloosa. AL.com reported that Dickey, who was in Dallas visiting friends, died Nov. 10.

The indictments against the men allege they provided Dickey with a substance called 5-fluoro MDMB-PICA, an action the documents describe as “clearly dangerous to human life.”

Authorities said the drug killed Dickey, after which the men are accused of stealing the young banker’s belongings, which constitutes felony theft. His death is murder, the indictment states, because it was “caused while the defendant(s) (were) in the course of an in furtherance of the commission or attempt of the felony.”

Dickey never knew what he was given, the documents indicate. He believed he was given marijuana.

A May 2019 report from the Drug Enforcement Agency described 5-fluoro MDMBPICA as a "synthetic cannabinoid recently encountered on the designer drug market (that) has been found laced on plant material and marketed under the guise of herbal incense products."

The synthetic drug, a Schedule I controlled substance, is smoked for its psychoactive effects. The danger lies in some of the side effects, which include hallucinations and seizures.

AL.com reported that Dickey had gone to Hero Bar in Dallas the day of the Alabama/LSU game, Nov. 9, and was never seen alive again. His friends reported him missing and he was later found dead in the area of 1700 Pacific Avenue, a little over a mile from the bar.

Credit: Google/Google Maps

Credit: Google/Google Maps

Dickey's credit cards were missing, the news site said.

Police in Dallas allege Jenkins and Howard approached Dickey, offering him marijuana laced with F-fluoro MDMB-PICA. Investigators believe they stole his belongings while he was incapacitated or dead.

Later that month, on Nov. 26, homicide detectives released surveillance images of two men who had been caught on camera using Dickey’s credit cards at a Dallas Walmart the day he died.

Credit: Dallas Police Department

Credit: Dallas Police Department

Howard, however, was already behind bars. According to Dallas County Jail records, he was booked Nov. 14, four days after Dickey died, on aggravated robbery and drug charges. According to jail and court records, the aggravated robbery charge was for allegedly stealing a duffel bag, laptop, cellphone and wallet with credit cards and identification from a man 65 years of age or older.

The drug charge was possession with the intent to distribute F-fluoro MDMB-PICA, which Howard admitted having in his possession Nov. 3, a week before Dickey’s death.

Howard pleaded guilty in January in the unrelated robbery case to a lesser charge, enhanced theft from a person, and was sentenced to five years deferred probation, court records show.

A second aggravated robbery charge was added in January in connection to Dickey's case, the records show. This month's grand jury indictment tacked on the charge of murder.

Read the indictments against Howard and Jenkins below. 

Jenkins, who was arrested Jan. 6, was also charged that month with aggravated robbery in the Dickey case. The same grand jury earlier this month indicted him for murder.

He is also being held on probation violations, jail records show.

Dickey's obituary describes the University of Alabama graduate as a kind and loving person.

"He pulled for the Crimson Tide, was an avid fantasy football competitor and boxing fan. He also loved playing with his 150-pound black Briard dog, Bert," the obituary said. "Seth worked at Regions Bank and was an active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Junior Achievement."

His family asked that, in lieu of flowers, people make donations to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Alabama.

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