Bradenton man indicted on murder charges, for selling drugs that killed brothers days apart
A 41-year-old Bradenton man is facing the possibility of life in prison after a grand jury indicted him on first-degree murder charges in the deaths of two brothers who overdosed and died six days apart from one another.
On Dec. 5, 2019, prosecutors say Joshua Pavey sold fentanyl and cocaine to Joshua Baker. A day later, Baker was found dead from an apparent overdose in his Bradenton home by his younger brother. Despite knowing that Baker had died after overdosing on the drugs he sold him, prosecutors say, three days later Pavey sold the younger brother, Jeffrey Baker, fentanyl as well.
Jeffrey Baker was still in Pavey’s home when he began to overdose and had to be taken to a local hospital, a release said. On Dec. 11, the younger Baker was taken off life support and died, according to prosecutors.
On Friday, a grand jury handed up the indictment in a Manatee County courtroom in downtown Bradenton, charging Pavey with two counts of first-degree murder. One charge stems from the unlawful distribution of fentanyl, while the other is connected to the unlawful distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, prosecutors say.
“We hope today’s indictment brought forth by the Manatee County Grand Jury serves as a stark reminder that selling or distributing drugs will not be tolerated,” Assistant State Attorney Courtney Hollen said in a statement. “We are deeply inspired by the victims’ mother’s courage throughout this difficult time.”
Pavey had already been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in July but in Florida, only a grand jury can bring first-degree murder charges. He has been held without bond at the Manatee County jail since April 2020.
For months leading up to Pavey’s arrest in April, undercover detectives were investigating his drug trafficking business and bought thousands of dollars in drugs from Pavey, according to court records. Undercover detectives say they also witnessed other drug transactions in Pavey’s home during their investigation.
Over the past 20 years, Pavey has had several run-ins with the law. Since 2001, he’s been charged with trafficking drugs, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of probation.
Pavey spent time in prison between May 2011 and December 2012 after being convicted on multiple counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance and one count of trafficking 14 to 28 grams of heroin.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 7:02 PM.
