Mother, Daughter, and Daughter's Boyfriend Indicted in Fatal Drug Overdose Death

Months of investigation into the December 2022 overdose death of Nashvillian Jamie Hughes, 43, inside her Belmont-Hillsboro area home has led to the arrests of three persons, including a mother and daughter, on charges of second-degree murder and distribution of drugs.

Jailed are Tamara Sue Morales, 56, of Portland, Tennessee, her daughter, Alexandra Guerriero, 31, of Nashville, and Guerriero’s boyfriend, Maxwell Delancy, 33, of Nashville.

The investigation, led by the Specialized Investigations Division’s Neighborhood Safety Unit, alleges that the three defendants had contact with Hughes and conspired together to sell her a powder substance containing fentanyl. The narcotic sale is believed to have taken place at a Wallace Road motel on December 21, 2022. Hughes was found dead in her home the following day.

Delancy was taken into custody Thursday afternoon at a Hermitage area motel after detectives from the Hermitage Precinct’s Field Intelligence Team spotted him at an area gas station and followed the vehicle to the motel. The driver, Kelando Cato, 42, was wanted on an outstanding warrant charging him with especially aggravated robbery in connection with the shooting of a 35-year-old woman during a carjacking on Ocala Drive on January 12. At the time of his arrest Thursday, Cato was carrying a loaded semi-automatic pistol and fentanyl. In addition to the outstanding especially aggravated robbery warrant, Cato was also charged with unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon (Cato has aggravated assault and felony cocaine convictions in his past), gun possession during the commission of a dangerous drug felony, and possession of fentanyl for resale.

As Delancy was being taken into custody, members of the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force in Sumner County arrested Morales at her Portland, Tennessee residence.

Guerriero was arrested by Specialized Investigations Division detectives at a Hermitage area apartment complex.

Bond for Morales, Guerriero and Delancy was set by a Criminal Court judge at $125,000 each. Cato is jailed in lieu of $151,000 bond.

The Neighborhood Safety Unit works to identify those persons who sell dangerous fentanyl to fatal overdose victims, and then collaborates with the District Attorney’s Office to bring prosecutions whenever possible.

For those seeking treatment for drug addiction, the Community Overdose Response Team (CORT) can help. CORT is a free and confidential resource to help find drug and alcohol treatment for individuals who are at risk of an overdose. The service is offered free of charge regardless of health insurance status. The team works with an individual to determine the appropriate level of care (e.g., detox, residential, or outpatient treatment, etc.). To make a referral or learn more about this resource for our community, call CORT at 615-687-1701.