This wasn’t just another number in America’s devastating fentanyl crisis. Bethany was a fighter who’d battled serious health problems her whole life. She was chasing her dream of becoming a registered nurse, wanting to help others the way medical professionals had helped her.
What happened to Bethany would eventually lead to a groundbreaking legal case. It showed how important it is to hold drug dealers responsible when their actions kill people. Her story captures both the personal devastation of the fentanyl epidemic and a community’s refusal to let her death be in vain.
Early Life and Background
Growing Up in Carteret County
Born March 26, 1997, in Davis, North Carolina, Bethany grew up surrounded by love in Carteret County’s close-knit coastal community. Her family called her the center of their universe, and anyone who met her understood why.
Strong family ties defined her childhood. Her parents, Carrie Ann Styron and Joseph Milton “Joe Milt” Styron (who died before her), raised her with deep community roots. These connections would prove unbreakable throughout her life.
At Harkers Island Elementary School, Bethany formed friendships that lasted for years. She later attended East Carteret High School, graduating in 2015 with big dreams about making her mark on the world.
Health Challenges and Resilience
Life threw Bethany some serious curveballs early on. She dealt with a lifelong autoimmune disease and Hyper IGE Syndrome – a rare condition that made her vulnerable to dangerous infections.
UNC Hospital at Chapel Hill became like a second home. The medical staff knew her well from countless visits. But here’s what amazed everyone: despite all the pain and uncertainty, Bethany kept what people described as her “tender, loving spirit.”
She could have let these health battles define her in negative ways. Instead, Bethany turned her struggles into strength. Her experiences taught her empathy and sparked a burning desire to help others facing similar challenges.
Pursuing Her Dreams
Island Life and Self-Discovery
After high school graduation in 2015, Bethany made a gutsy move to Ocracoke Island. This chapter represented independence and figuring out who she was as a young adult.
Island living suited her. She juggled different jobs while taking college courses online, gaining real-world experience away from her hometown. These years shaped her character and gave her space to explore her interests.
Friends from Ocracoke remember someone who lit up every room she entered. Bethany brought genuine joy and laughter wherever she went during this formative period.
Career in Healthcare
When Bethany returned to Carteret County, she had clarity about her future. All those years as a patient had inspired her to pursue nursing as a career.
She dove into the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Carteret Community College, excelling in her coursework. Earning both CNA I and CNA II certifications felt like major victories – stepping stones toward her ultimate goal of becoming an RN.
Her motivation ran deep. Having spent so much time on the receiving end of medical care, Bethany truly understood what compassionate treatment meant. She wanted to be the kind of healthcare provider who offered real comfort and understanding to struggling patients.
For years, she worked with elderly and disabled patients. Colleagues remember her dedication and the genuine care she showed everyone under her watch. One person described her as “a light in their lives as she was in ours.”
The Tragic End
Final Days and Circumstances
The weeks before her death found Bethany back at UNC Chapel Hill for another week-long hospital stay. Doctors treated her for pneumonia, heart problems, and complications from her Hyper IGE Syndrome.
After discharge, she was heading home when she stopped in Kinston. During this trip, she encountered the substances that would ultimately kill her.
July 30, 2022, started like any other day. Bethany was with a friend when they pulled into a gas station at Highway 101 and Steel Tank Road in Carteret County. What should have been a quick stop became the scene of unthinkable tragedy.
They sat at the gas pump for over an hour before Bethany stopped breathing. Her friend called 911 immediately, but emergency responders couldn’t save her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Investigation Unfolds
Investigators quickly determined the cause: acute fentanyl toxicity. This discovery launched an intensive investigation by the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office to trace how she’d gotten the deadly drug.
Detective Joseph “Cory” Bishop spearheaded the investigation, eventually uncovering events that started two days before Bethany’s death. On July 28, 2022, Hugh Crandall Willis Jr. had visited her home.
During that visit, Willis delivered fentanyl to Bethany and her friend. The investigation revealed they’d mixed Willis’s drugs with substances purchased earlier in Kinston.
The cruel irony wasn’t lost on anyone: Bethany overdosed on this mixture just days after leaving the hospital where she’d been fighting for her health.
Justice Served
Legal Proceedings
By October 2022, detectives had enough evidence to charge Hugh Crandall Willis Jr. with fentanyl sale and distribution. When deputies went to his Gloucester home with the arrest warrant, they made another crucial discovery.
Willis had more fentanyl in his possession – confirmed by state lab testing. This finding added more charges and strengthened the case against him.
The trial finally began in April 2025 at Carteret County Superior Court, nearly three years after Bethany’s death. Resident Superior Court Judge Augustus Willis presided, with Assistant District Attorney David L. Spence prosecuting.
Prosecutors built a solid case with 14 witnesses and 37 pieces of evidence. The testimony clearly showed Willis’s role in providing the fentanyl that killed Bethany.
Sentencing and Accountability
The jury convicted Hugh Crandall Willis Jr. on every charge: Death by Distribution of Fentanyl, Sale and Delivery of Fentanyl, and Felonious Possession of Fentanyl. Willis offered no defense evidence during the trial.
The court sentenced him to 78-106 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. He also received a suspended sentence of 6-8 months, plus 36 months of supervised probation.
District Attorney Scott Thomas and Sheriff Asa Buck announced the conviction, stressing how important it is to hold drug dealers accountable for deaths they cause. For Bethany’s family and the community, this represented a significant victory in fighting the fentanyl epidemic.
The conviction sent a powerful message: people who distribute deadly substances will face serious consequences when their actions kill someone. While nothing could bring Bethany back, her family found some comfort in knowing justice had been served.
Legacy and Impact
Remembering Bethany
Bethany’s death sent shockwaves through Carteret County and beyond. Her August 7, 2022, funeral service at Munden Funeral Home showed just how many lives she’d touched in 25 years.
Pastor Ricky Nelms led the service, followed by burial at Murphy Family Cemetery in Davis. The service was streamed online so everyone who loved Bethany could participate in honoring her memory.
After her death, countless people shared stories about how Bethany had been their “first friend” or “best friend.” These stories painted a picture of someone who “poured out her love to others without measure.”
Her family had called her “the center of their universe,” and over the years, that circle of love kept growing. The community’s outpouring of support and shared memories proved the lasting impact of her kindness and compassion.
Broader Implications
Bethany’s story exposes the fentanyl crisis’s devastating reach. It’s become one of America’s leading causes of overdose deaths. Her case shows how this epidemic affects not just people struggling with addiction, but young people who might encounter these dangerous drugs in various situations.
Hugh Willis Jr.’s successful prosecution marks an important step in holding drug dealers accountable for their actions’ consequences. Cases like this help establish legal precedents for pursuing justice in similar situations.
For the healthcare community Bethany hoped to join, her story underscores the need for comprehensive approaches to the opioid crisis. This means not just treatment and prevention, but also strong law enforcement targeting those who profit from distributing deadly substances.
Conclusion – A Call for Change
Bethany JoAlison Styron lived with resilience, compassion, and an unwavering desire to help others despite her own struggles. Her death represents more than personal tragedy for family and friends – it’s a loss for the entire community and all the patients she would have cared for as a nurse.
The successful prosecution of those responsible provides some justice, but it can’t undo the loss. Bethany’s story powerfully reminds us of the fentanyl epidemic’s human cost and the urgent need for continued efforts to combat this crisis.
As communities nationwide face similar tragedies, Bethany’s memory can inspire those working to prevent future losses. Her legacy lives on in the love she shared, the lives she touched, and the ongoing fight to protect others from fentanyl’s devastating effects.
Fighting the fentanyl epidemic requires continued vigilance, comprehensive prevention efforts, and the kind of accountability shown in Hugh Willis Jr.’s prosecution. Only through sustained commitment to these efforts can communities hope to spare other families the heartbreak Bethany’s loved ones continue to endure.
Remembering Bethany JoAlison Styron means honoring not just her life, but our collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable and seek justice for those who can no longer speak for themselves. Her story reminds us that behind every statistic is a real person with dreams, hopes, and people who loved them deeply.