On Monday, January 19, 2026, two individuals were found deceased in a Blackman Township motel, a tragic incident suspected to be a fatal drug overdose. The discovery was made at the Travelodge by Wyndham, located at 2025 Service Drive in Jackson, Michigan, a property situated near Interstate 94.
Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety officers were dispatched to the motel on Service Drive after receiving a report of unresponsive individuals. Inside a room, emergency personnel discovered two people who showed no signs of life. Paramedics confirmed both individuals were deceased at the scene. They were identified as 36-year-old JaJuan Worthy of Jackson and 35-year-old Ashley Connin of Jonesville.
Based on evidence found at the scene, investigators suspected the deaths were the result of a drug overdose. This suspicion initiated a criminal investigation alongside the death inquiry. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with Blackman-Leoni Public Safety, began working to trace the source of the narcotics believed to be involved.
The investigation quickly led detectives to a 41-year-old Jackson woman. Authorities allege she was the source of the drugs that caused the fatal overdoses. On Tuesday, January 20, she was arrested and formally charged with two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance Causing Death. She is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail, with bond set at $100,000.
The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies to determine the official causes of death. Final confirmation of the substances involved awaits the return of toxicology reports, a process that can take several weeks. The case highlights the severe legal consequences for drug distribution when it results in death, a charge pursued to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis.
This devastating event has sent waves of grief through the families of JaJuan Worthy and Ashley Connin and the wider Jackson community. It serves as a stark reminder of the deadly impact of illicit substances and the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to hold suppliers accountable for the tragic outcomes of their trade.
