Indy Man Sentenced for Fatal 2023 Overdose in Boone County

William Wills will spend most of his 26-year sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to over 20 years in prison for his involvement in the fatal overdose of a man in Boone County.

22 of William Wills’ 26-year sentence will be served in the Indiana Department of Correction. Wills, 31, admitted to selling heroin and fentanyl to Travis Barnes one day before he died three years ago.

Barnes was found dead inside his home in Boone County on Sept. 1, 2023. His official cause of death was determined to be a combination of alprazolam, fentanyl, and morphine.

Earlier this month, Wills pleaded guilty to dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a Level 1 felony.

“Let this case serve as a clear warning: if you deal illegal drugs in this community and it results in someone’s death, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and you will spend decades in prison,” said Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood. “Those who take this risk will face real and severe consequences.”

Wills had an extensive criminal history that included multiple convictions for possessing and dealing drugs. He was convicted in 2012 of possession of a narcotic drug. Six years later, he was convicted of the same charge alongside additional charges of resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a license.

Wills was convicted again in 2019 for possession of cocaine, followed by two more drug-related convictions.

Another defendant in the case, Karen Blanton, had her charges dismissed after she died while in custody.