Bradenton woman faces murder charge after causing drug overdose death, deputies say

Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies have charged a Bradenton woman with murder in the overdose death of an Ellenton man.

Brianne Zaffina, 33, is in jail on unrelated charges, including battery on a first responder and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Zaffina was served a warrant for murder on Wednesday, according to a sheriff's office news release.

On Jan. 18, deputies responded to an "unknown situation" in the 1000 block of Royal Palm Drive in Ellenton, where paramedics were giving the man medical attention.

The man, 35, whose name was not released to the public, was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later from an apparent overdose, deputies said. An autopsy determined that he died from intoxication with carfentanil, fentanyl and alprazolam, according to the news release.

Zaffina had been with the man at his home the night before his death, according to detectives. Phone calls, text messages and DNA tests revealed that Zaffina had sold him drugs, detectives said.

Zaffina is being held without bond at the Manatee County Jail.

The investigation is ongoing, according to the news release.

WARNING: This story contains graphic details of an alleged murder in a sexual context.Nikolas Ibey — on trial for first-degree murder in the death of a woman who had just moved to Ottawa from Nunavut to attend college in 2022 — was drinking, taking drugs, and had been frustrated in his efforts to find an escort "for eight hours straight" before he finally took what he wanted from his new housemate and left her dead in her room, the Crown alleged in its opening remarks to a 14-member jury on Wedn