Police Charge Drug Dealer With Manslaughter in Death of Woman
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
July 13, 2025
GULF SHORES Ala. On July 1, 2025, the Gulf Shores Police Department began a death investigation of a 43-year-old white female at the 3000 block of W 1st St, Gulf Shores, Al. During the investigation, it was suspected that the decedent died from a drug overdose.
The Baldwin County Coroner’s Office conducted testing using the Randox analyzer and received a result indicating the presence of Fentanyl.
The Gulf Shores Police contacted their officer who was assigned to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Drug Task Force to continue the investigation.
The Baldwin County Drug Task Force developed information that led them to 38-year-old Zachary Michael Winter of the 21000 block of Coastal Gateway Blvd as a suspect in the case.
Through the investigation, it was learned that Winter provided Fentanyl to the decedent on the day of her death.
Drug Task Force members continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, and on July 9, 2025, conducted search warrants related to this case at two locations in South Baldwin County.
Police said that subsequent to the search warrants and interviews, Winter was arrested for the charge of Manslaughter, for knowingly providing a controlled substance to the decedent who passed away as a proximate result of using the controlled substance, in violation of Alabama Code Title 13A-6-3 (3)a.
Winter was brought to the Sheriff’s Office and during an interview, he admitted to providing drugs to the decedent.
Winter is also charged with 4 counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Gulf Shores Police Department, US Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations Mobile, Baldwin County Coroner’s Office and the Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office each played crucial roles in this investigation.
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