Austin Man Charged with Murder in 2024 Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

A man is facing a murder charge after a fatal drug overdose that occurred last summer in southeast Austin.

On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a welfare check at a residence in the 4300 block of Acropolis Court. Upon arrival, officers found 46-year-old Ryan Luper unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased at 11:01 p.m.

An investigation conducted by APD Crime Scene Specialists and the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Luper died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The case was assigned to APD’s Narcotics Support Unit, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for murder for 40-year-old Stephen Tamayo, who is accused of supplying the narcotics that resulted in Luper’s death. Tamayo is currently in custody in Williamson County on an unrelated charge.

This marks the fourth murder charge filed by the Narcotics Support Unit since a 2023 change in Texas law made supplying fentanyl resulting in death a chargeable homicide offense.