Man sentenced to 20 years for overdose death of teen who died days before graduation

PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. (WVUE/Gray News) – A man who pleaded guilty to selling fake pills to a teen has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after she died of a fentanyl overdose, according to the Plaquemines Parish District Attorney’s Office.

Hailey Deickman, an 18-year-old senior at Belle Chasse High School, died of an overdose one week before graduation on May 18, 2021. District Attorney Charles Ballay says Deikman took half of what she believed was a Percocet pill she and a friend purchased from 22-year-old Franklin Senfles.

Senfles was arrested and indicted on one count of second-degree murder later that month, but he entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of manslaughter on Sept. 6. Plaquemines Parish Judge Kevin Conner sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Deickman’s mother says she was an honor roll student who stayed out of trouble and made one bad choice that cost her her life.

The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office said Deickman’s death should serve as a wake-up call, especially for young kids who may not understand the dangers of counterfeit pills.

“These counterfeit pills are disguised to look like Oxycodone, pain medications, Xanax,” DEA Special Agent Brad Byerley said. “People are buying these pills off the street, thinking they’re buying something that a health care provider prescribed to someone.”

Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.