"Hell Razor" Heroin

23-year-old man who died in his home last week likely is one of six people to overdose on heroin since December.
Five of the overdoses have been fatal.
New Hanover County Assistant District Attorney Tom Old said bags of the heroin stamped with the name "Hell Razor" were found in William Brandon Walters' house.
That heroin has been linked to at least two or three fatal overdoses in the past months, he said.

Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities are trying to find the source of the fatal heroin, and they announced on Tuesday they made a significant heroin bust unrelated to the recent overdoses.
But authorities may have more than "Hell Razor" to blame for recent deaths.
Heroin by another name was found at the home of a 48-year-old man who overdosed Friday in the 600 block of Orange Street, authorities said.
More than a week ago, Walters' father, Michael Walters, went to his son's house to check on him after his mail had piled up. He found his son dead on the living room floor Jan. 27.
Brandon Walters' father said Tuesday he didn't want to discuss details of his son's death because of an ongoing investigation. He added he didn't know how his son died.
"We want to see the final results for toxicology," Michael Walters said. "There was no foul play involved at this point that I am aware of."
Incidentally, right after his son died, Michael Walters reported two Samsung flat-screen TVs - worth a total of $4,000 - stolen from his son's house on White Road.
He said they were stolen after he found his son dead.
For now, Michael Walters is just trying to cope with his son's death.
"It takes a little while to cope with it and deal with the loss," he said. Brandon Walters, who was unemployed, was living off his maternal grandfather's inheritance and enjoying automobiles. He liked to buy and trade vehicles like BMWs, Cadillacs and Hummers, his father said.

"I accused him of trading them before the 30-day tag expired on them," he said.

Brandon Walters, who was born in Wilmington and spent most of his life here, was a fisherman and deer hunter who enjoyed going to the shooting range.

At one point, Brandon Walters also was involved with a Baptist church.

"He was a very lovable person," his father said. "He had a heart of gold."

To date, four other men ranging in age from 16 to 48 have died from heroin overdoses since Dec. 6, 2007.

Also, a 19-year-old woman nearly died from a heroin overdose at a McDonald's in the 2500 block of Carolina Beach Road.

Addiction afflicts people of all backgrounds, Old said.

"You find addiction throughout professionals and everyone throughout society," said Old, a drug prosecutor. "I don't know that anyone ever starts using drugs or alcohol with the thought they'll become an addict. Everyone always likes to think they'll be in control of their lives, never anticipating how addictive drugs are."