A Promise Interrupted
Bethany JoAlison Styron had always been a fighter. At 25, she’d already weathered more medical storms than most people face in a lifetime, yet her determination to help others never wavered.
Her story isn’t just another statistic in America’s opioid crisis. It’s about a young woman whose dreams of becoming a nurse were shattered by the very drugs she might have helped others overcome.
When Hugh Crandall Willis Jr. was sentenced to up to nine years in prison for his role in Bethany’s death, it marked a rare victory in the battle against fentanyl dealers. But for those who knew her, no amount of justice can fill the void she left behind.
Growing Up Strong in Davis
March 26, 1997, brought Bethany into the world in the small coastal community of Davis, North Carolina. From early on, her life was marked by hospital visits and medical treatments for a persistent autoimmune condition.
Most kids might have been discouraged by constant health battles. Not Bethany. Her family watched in amazement as she faced each setback with grace and determination.
East Carteret High School knew her as the girl who never missed a chance to help a classmate, despite her own struggles. After graduation in 2015, she craved independence and found it on Ocracoke Island, where island life suited her free spirit perfectly.
Finding Her Purpose
Two years of island living taught Bethany valuable lessons about herself. She returned to Carteret County with a clear mission: turn her painful experiences into something meaningful for others.
Carteret Community College became her launching pad. The CNA program wasn’t just coursework for Bethany—it was preparation for her calling. She earned both CNA I and II certifications while keeping her sights set on nursing school.
Her patients quickly discovered what her family had always known. Bethany possessed an unusual gift for making people feel heard and cared for. Whether helping an elderly resident with daily tasks or comforting someone through a difficult procedure, she brought genuine compassion to every interaction.
When Everything Changed
July 2022 found Bethany back at UNC Chapel Hill, the hospital that had become like a second home over the years. This time, she was battling pneumonia and cardiac complications related to her Hyper IGE Syndrome.
After a week of intensive treatment, she was finally ready to head home. The drive back to Davis should have marked the beginning of her recovery. Instead, it became part of a chain of events that would end her life.
On July 28, Hugh Willis made what prosecutors would later call a deadly delivery to Bethany’s home. The fentanyl he brought was mixed with other substances, creating a lethal combination that Bethany couldn’t have anticipated.
Two days later, she and a friend stopped for gas at Highway 101 and Steel Tank Road. What started as a routine stop became a medical emergency when Bethany suddenly stopped breathing. Despite her friend’s quick call to 911, paramedics couldn’t save her.
The Investigation Unfolds
Detective Joseph “Cory” Bishop had seen too many overdose cases, but Bethany’s death hit the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office particularly hard. Here was a young woman who’d dedicated her life to helping others, killed by someone who profited from their pain.
The investigation moved methodically. Phone records, witness statements, and forensic evidence slowly painted a picture of Willis’s involvement. When detectives traced the fentanyl back to him, they knew they had their case.
October 2022 brought Willis’s arrest, but not before deputies discovered he was still dealing. More fentanyl found at his residence proved he hadn’t learned from Bethany’s death—he was still putting others at risk.
Justice in the Courtroom
Carteret County Superior Court rarely sees cases that capture public attention like this one did. For four days in April 2025, Assistant District Attorney David L. Spence methodically built the case against Willis.
Fourteen witnesses took the stand. Thirty-seven pieces of evidence were presented to the jury. Each testimony and exhibit painted Willis not as some small-time user who made a mistake, but as someone who knowingly distributed deadly drugs.
Willis’s defense strategy was telling—he presented no evidence at all. Perhaps his attorneys knew what everyone else in that courtroom understood: the facts spoke for themselves.
Judge Augustus Willis handed down a sentence that reflected the severity of the crime: 78 to 106 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised probation. It was justice, but the kind that comes too late for the victim.
Ripples Through the Community
Davis isn’t the kind of place where tragedies go unnoticed. Bethany’s death sent shockwaves through a community that had watched her grow up, struggle, and find her purpose.
Her funeral at Munden Funeral Home drew hundreds of mourners. Pastor Ricky Nelms spoke of a young woman whose light had touched everyone she met. The service was streamed online for those who couldn’t attend—a testament to how far her influence had spread.
District Attorney Scott Thomas and Sheriff Asa Buck used the conviction to send a message: Carteret County won’t tolerate dealers who prey on vulnerable people. But for Bethany’s family, no legal victory could ease their loss.
More Than a Statistic
The numbers are staggering—over 70,000 Americans died from overdoses in 2022 alone. But Bethany JoAlison Styron was never just a number.
She was the CNA who stayed late to comfort a frightened patient. The daughter who called her mother every day, even from her hospital bed. The friend who remembered everyone’s birthday and never missed a chance to offer encouragement.
Her Instagram account, still active with memories shared by friends, tells the story of someone who lived fully despite her limitations. Photos show her laughing with coworkers, celebrating small victories, and always, always caring for others.
A Legacy That Endures
Bethany never got to fulfill her dream of becoming a registered nurse. She never got to see how many lives she might have saved or how many families she could have helped through medical crises.
But her death has likely prevented other tragedies. Willis’s conviction sends a clear message to anyone considering dealing fentanyl: you will be caught, and you will pay the price.
The young woman who spent her life fighting her own battles has, in death, helped others win theirs. It’s not the legacy she would have chosen, but it’s one that honors the compassionate spirit she showed every day of her 25 years.
Sometimes justice comes in unexpected forms. For Bethany JoAlison Styron, it came through a courtroom victory that ensures her story will continue saving lives long after her own ended too soon.
