Florida bachelor party goes fatally wrong. Alabama man charged in death of friend

A Florida bachelor party took a dark turn and ended with an Alabama man being arrested on murder charges Wednesday, authorities said.

John David Nabors, 26, is facing a charge of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, according to Walton County jail records. After turning himself in, he was released on a $25,000 bond Thursday.

The murder charge stems from a bachelor party held on May 14 in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said. Nabors and four other men came together from Georgia, Alabama and Connecticut to celebrate their friend’s upcoming wedding.

Nabors had given them fentanyl, deputies said, which lead to four of them collapsing on the ground unconscious. The four men were rushed to the hospital.

Thomas Gleason, a 26-year-old Connecticut man part of the group, died a few days later. Deputies say Nabors gave him a lethal dose.

Obituary photo of Thomas Gleason
Obituary photo of Thomas Gleason

“Our Criminal Investigations Bureau was able to tie the deadly dose Gleason took to Nabors,” said Sheriff Adkinson. “This case is tragic and certainly one we want to bring to a successful prosecution for Thomas’ family.”

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