Tennessee Family Blames Woman’s Death on Fake Xanax


A 37-year-old mother is dead after taking what she thought was the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. Her family is asking authorities to investigate her death.

In January 2016, Misty Burnett took pills that she thought were Xanax, reports News Channel 5. Shortly thereafter Misty’s 18-year-old daughter discovered her mother dead. Alicia Allred, the girl’s aunt told News Channel 5 that Misty died at home as a result of taking suspected counterfeit Xanax.

Ms. Allred told News Channel 5 that she her sister had died of an overdose, until she went through her sister’s phone. “I went through her text messages, and I found out that she had bought some Xanax that she thought was real and they were fake.”

Allred also spoke to Raycomm Media and shared with them the texts Misty sent to the supplier of her Xanax.

“Hey, those aren’t real. I took four and I have been throwing up. I may have to go to the hospital. What are those, because they are fake,’” said Alred, reading from her sister’s messages. “Ten minutes later, she said, ‘You sold me some fake stuff. That is not cool. I would never do you that way. I am heading to the hospital. If you don’t make this right, I am going to tell who I got it from.’

“Right after that, she texted her daughter that she was so sick and scared, and right after that she lay in her bed and passed,” Alred added. “She passed, dead and alone.”

According to Raycomm Media, Misty’s family are still waiting for the toxicology report on Misty.

The Tennessean reports that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is warned the public in February that in “recent months, about two dozen cases of counterfeit prescription drugs from across Tennessee reveal a trend of pills ‘shaped, colored and stamped’ to look like prescription medication.”
By S. Imber