Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney has obtained a conviction in the homicide case against a Milwaukee man known as “Purp” who was accused of dealing the fentanyl that killed a young woman in Fond du Lac.
Toney announced that a jury convicted Keyandre Fowler of First Degree Reckless Homicide – Party to a Crime, after a six-day jury trial. “Fowler was the Milwaukee source of fentanyl that led to the death of Amanda West on December 14, 2024 in the City of Fond du Lac,” Toney announced.
Some Wisconsin District Attorneys take a pass on charging drug-related deaths because they are challenging cases that are difficult to prove, but Toney has taken the lead in charging such cases.
According to the criminal complaint, Amanda West was found face down and not breathing in her livingroom. A man at the scene allegedly told police stated that “he got approximately 3 grams of fentanyl for $300 from his source in Milwaukee, only known to him as ‘Purp.'” The complaint says police searched cell phone and social media and were able to determine that Fowler was “Purp.” Fowler was previously convicted in Milwaukee County of felony intimidation of a witness, the complaint says.
“After a long hard struggle with addiction to drugs, Amanda passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2024. Amanda received her high school diploma and attended Oakwood Middle School, Traeger Elementary and Oshkosh West High School. Amanda played some basketball, sang in the choir and made the honor roll twice. Amanda worked at Culver’s in Oshkosh and Midwest Specialty Products in Winneconne,” West’s obituary reads. “Amanda loved Stitch, Harry Potter, swimming, boating, hiking, paddle boarding, listening to music, cats and dogs. Amanda had a big heart and showed a lot of concern to struggling people.”
District Attorney Toney stated: “Fentanyl continues to have a devastating effect on our communities, and we will aggressively prosecute those that pedal poison into our community, regardless of where they live. A Milwaukee drug source is now off our streets because of the great work of our law enforcement, helping make Fond du Lac County and Wisconsin a safer place. I’m proud of the jury for the time and attention they give to this case in finding justice for Amanda’s family and our community.”
This case was investigated by the City of Fond du Lac Police Department with assistance from the Lake Winnebago Area Drug Unit. It was prosecuted by ADA Hannah Krueger and District Attorney Eric Toney, the DA added.
Toney is a Republican candidate for state attorney general.
