photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Timothy Thompson appears Friday, March 27, 2026, in Douglas County District Court with his defense attorney, Angela Keck.

A 44-year-old drug dealer was sentenced on Friday to nearly eight years in prison for multiple drug crimes, one of which was connected to the 2018 death of a young Lawrence woman.

The defendant, Timothy Edward Thompson, had originally been charged in Douglas County District Court with one felony count of distribution of heroin causing a death and seven lower-level drug charges in separate incidents. On Feb. 5, he pleaded no contest instead to felony distribution of heroin and two counts of felony distribution of fentanyl, and the remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The original charge of distribution causing a death was in connection with the death of Blossom Faye Kyle, 25, who was found unresponsive by her boyfriend on Aug. 26, 2018. She was declared dead at the scene, and the autopsy report said she had died of a heroin overdose.

The two fentanyl counts stemmed from two separate events in January 2025, in which undercover officers purchased fentanyl from Thompson.

Kemple and Thompson’s attorney, Angela Keck, recommended that Thompson serve 56 months total for the two fentanyl convictions and 30 months for the heroin conviction, to run consecutively for 86 months total, or just over seven years. However, Judge Merlin Wheeler, sitting in for Judge Amy Hanley, sentenced Thompson to 91 months instead. He also ordered Thompson to pay $1,000 in restitution to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for the drug buys. Thompson will have to register as an offender for 15 years.

Kemple said that the family of Kyle just “wanted closure” and chose not to attend the sentencing. She said they were “comfortable and happy” with the plea agreement that had been reached.

When given a chance to speak Friday, Thompson said, “I apologize for any wrongdoing to the community.”

Another person has also been convicted in connection with Kyle’s death: Jessica Leigh Silkiner Gallardo. She was originally charged with one felony count of distribution of heroin causing death, and ultimately pleaded guilty to two lower-level counts of unlawful distribution of less than one gram of heroin. She was sentenced to 45 months in prison in January, as the Journal-World reported.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Jessica Leigh Silkiner Gallardo appears with attorney Hatem Chahine Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at her sentencing in Douglas County District Court.