Note: Services for Anthony Fennick are scheduled at Craig-Flagler Palms Funeral Home, 511 Old Kings Road South in Flagler Beach, with family and friends received from 4 to 6 p.m., and a memorial service at 6 p.m.
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins didn’t come out in his judge’s robe this morning when Drug Court convened. He came out just in civilian clothes. He gathered Drug Court’s participants around the table and sat with them rather than face them from his usual, elevated seat. They all knew what it was about: he wanted to talk to them about the death of Anthony Fennick, the 23 year old who until recently had been one of their own–until a relapse and Perkins’s decision to send him back to the county jail.
Fennick died Saturday at AdventHealth Palm Coast. His death hasn’t been explained and is under investigation. He’d been ill for several days with fevers, culminating in a seizure and cardiac arrest that left him brain dead. Perkins told Drug Court’s participants that the death had hit him hard (an echo of the way another Drug Court participant’s death, that of Savannah DeAngelis 15 months ago, had affected Circuit Judge Dennis Craig when he was in charge of the special court), and he wanted to know if any of the participants wanted to speak about it. None did, some of them saying this evening that they feared retaliation if they did, because what they had to say, the judge would not want to hear. Perkins then took a break, put on his robe, and the court session began.
“I know you guys feel you can’t speak because they’re going to take it out on you,” Erika Williams, Fennick’s mother, told many of those participants this evening. “I know that. And that’s how they are. I’ve seen it through Anthony and I’ve seen it through everybody else. If you ever have a problem, if you ever need a resource, or anything, you contact me, because I don’t care, I don’t care who they are, I don’t care if they’re a judge, I don’t care, I will be there and I will talk to you guys, so you’ll always have somebody on your side. You’re not alone, you’ll never be alone as long as I live.”
They’d all turned out for a vigil and a celebration of life for Fennick on the sands of Flagler Beach, a few blocks north of the pier, where his parents and friends had arranged a small memorial to him–pictures of him fishing or with his younger brother or by himself, flowers, a plaque of “The Broken Chain” his friends from Drug Court all signed on the back (We little knew that day,/God was going to call your name./In life we loved you dearly,/In death, we do the same…) For a time John Dioguardi, the Drug Court coordinator who recently replaced Mike Greenier and whom everyone calls “Mr. D.,” was there, though he’d left by the time Williams spoke.
Her words reflected the anger and anxiety Drug Court’s and Fennick’s family both have felt, seizing on the decision to send him back to jail to vent that anger and speak the word they almost reflexively associate with Fennick’s death: “unnecessary.”
Not that they wouldn’t talk about Fennick’s flaws. They did. His stubbornness. His moodiness. His struggles with using. His difficulties immersing himself in the commitment to stick with recovery (he’d been thrown out of a recovery program in Jacksonville before enrolling in another in DeLand, and returning to Drug Court only to get thrown out of that last December), as one of the people who spent three months in the Jacksonville program with Fennick recalled it. “When you get in sobriety or you get into the program, you don’t just go half-way, you dive in all the way, you need to like, dig deep, and I don’t think he was completely involved in it like people need to be,” Chad Dennis, 29, who’s been clean a year and three months, said. He is graduating from Drug Court soon. “What you’ve got to do is you’ve got to build a network of people that way if you do need anything you could pick up the phone and somebody is there that has time under their belt that can relate with something that’s going on in your life to help you out.”
Fennick was getting there, his friends say: missteps and backsliding is not uncommon with addiction: it’s more often the rule, including for Drug Court participants. He was struggling, but he was desperate to make his way back, he’d tell his mother from jail. His death shocked his friends because jail isn’t supposed to be lethal, the way the freer world can sometimes be for an addict. Jail is a defacto detox facility. And Fennick’s end began with a simple fever–a fever that his family says some of the Armor Correctional Health Services staff, which provides inmate health care at the jail, didn’t take seriously enough. Armor says its nurses did nothing wrong.
“I’ve been to these before but it never gets easy,” said Khalief Gray, one of Anthony’s friends from Drug Court, as he stepped down a walkway to the beach this evening. He’d brought his two young children for the ceremony. “When I was 14 I lost a friend I was very close with. She passed from a heart attack. My family had gotten real close with her family. It never gets easier. I’ve been with the family,” meaning Fennick’s family, “every day this week, trying to set things up, help the best way I can.”
He spoke later to the whole assembly of some 30 people gathered in a circle around the improvised shrine, recalling seeing Anthony on his death bed at the hospital for days. “Seeing a friend like that is heartbreaking,” Gray said. Or, as Liz Tremoglie, one of the more famous recent graduates of drug court, put it: “I’m angry. That’s too much.” She recalled seeing another inmate die in front of her at the jail (Kathleen Feiler in 2016), before Armor took over health care there.
But Fennick’s younger brother Dan wanted this evening’s vigil to be primarily a celebration, a remembrance honoring his brother. “Today is honestly, in a way, a day for celebration,” he said. “We’re here to celebrate the life of Anthony, the life of my brother, reflect on everything he’s done. I know me, I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if it wasn’t for him. My mind is running a mile a minute right now.” He was grateful for those who turned up. “As much as it sucks, as much as it didn’t need to happen, I understand that. But today is for celebration.” He said his brother would not want anyone to be upset.
And though she’d spoken strongly about Drug Court, Ericka said she was part of the Drug Court family and would be at the next graduation. “Every time I see someone graduating from that Drug Court program,” she told the assembly, “that for me is going to be like seeing my son graduate.” She added later: “This week started as a tragedy but I promise you, it’s not going to end until it’s a legacy.” Williams wants to start an advocacy and support organization called “Inmates Are Human Too.”
They all then released butterflies brought for the occasion, though several of the butterflies preferred staying close to the warmer palms of the hands holding them: it was windy and cold and the sun was long gone, though every once in a while a butterfly would take flight.
Anne R says
If you start your organization “Inmates are human too” I’m all in. You might want to reach out to the websites I mentioned in a previous post, Florida Justice Institute and Florida Cares (advocates for inmates rights). So sad this happened and somebody should be held accountable.
Concerned Citizen says
Again my condolences to the family for their loss.
This was a needless death perpetrated by Armor Health Care and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. All who were present and working that day are responsible for Anthony’s death. This includes Sheriff Staly who is responsible for All of his organization.
The Sheriff and his agency have a legal responsibility to safely incarcerate offenders. They are required to provide health care as needed and are required to keep inmates safe from harm. They failed to do so in this case.
So far we have a laughable “Investigation” being conducted by Commander Cole and other Flagler Detectives. This is being directed by Staly while playing SWAT in Dubai. What I’d like to know is when will FDLE and the Feds be called in? An internal investigation reeks of conflict of interest at least and at worse a cover up.
This county spent considerable time prosecuting one of it’s own for recording people. I expect and demand no less effort in a wrongful death. I hope that media coverage and pressure is exerted enough that outside agencies are brought in to properly investigate charge and try all responsible.
We can do the county another Justice by remembering the Sheriff’s lack of leadership and his shirking of responsibilities next election.
ConstantlyAmazed says
Once again we are going to ignore the reality of his own culpability of his death. Everyone is looking for the cause and the reason and as always in our new society someone else to blame for our decisions and actions.
I’m sorry to say but I have no remorse for this mans death but I do feel for the COLLATERAL DAMAGE he has caused his family as well as the victims of his criminal activities he committed to fuel his habit.
Guy Who Thinks ConstantlyAmazed is a douche says
You’re a douche for saying you feel nothing for him. Imagine that was someone you knew like your son or brother you should feel remorse for him, his death was not his fault it was the lack of medical practice that caused his death. Do people screw up Yes everyone falls back one time or another but not everything that happens in their life is their own fault.
Right says
@ ConstantlyAmazed, I’m not sure anyone is ignoring that this kid had some demons…his family readily admits it. That said, the issue here is he became sick while in the jail and needed real medical attention that he was denied. If you read, you’ll find that he was clean of any narcotic substances. Is it passing blame when this kid was running such a high fever for days, needed a doctor and was told he’d have to wait to see one? I don’t think so and I’m not part of “our new society” looking for someone to blame. I’m part of the old society where we step up and do the responsible thing. The nurses don’t run the jail. How long does anyone have to watch someone deteriorate before they step up and call for medical help beyond what these apparently useless nurses were providing? Their “decisions and actions” are now part of a death investigation. You seem to lack the ability to seperate what this young man has done in his life and the needed medical attention he didn’t receive for days while at the jail.
ForAllHumanity says
@ConstantlyAmazed
You are disgusting, this was someone’s son, brother, father and friend. He didn’t deserve to be treated this way. Ill pray hard for you.
Dave says
People assume all inmates are guilty. The truth is there are innocent people who have committed NO crimes sitting in that jail. The system does not work perfectly and sometimes innocent people get caught in the whirlwind of police. Besides that NO inmate should be allowed to die simply because the police or medical staff have trust issues. We will not stop till the nurses and officers responsible are locked up and stripped of their current titles! All while the sheriff reaps the favors of Ollie North and the NRA by taking this trip to Dubai! Oh u thought it was coincidence Flagler County gets picked for this “special” rare opportunity a few weeks after Staly is seen riding around with that unpatriotic criminal organization!? Wake up people your County is being turned into a police state. Let’s see how many more kids lives we can ruin with a simple marijuana possession why dont we.
YoureRight says
@constantlyamazed spot on. It sucks but it’s like no one wants to acknowledge he had drug issues and anger issues to get in jail in the first place. Everyone wants to attack the nurse staff who only see on scheduled medical pass or sick calls. Why is no one going that hard after the guards who have constant eyes on the inmates??
jadobi says
ConstantlyAmazed, I about 90% agree with you. Lets find out how this young man died before we make assumptions. Also, while I feel for their loss, was there similar efforts put into saving him from a life of drug addiction and an inevitable overdose or the collateral damage drugs have on the body? People are too ready to be the victim.
Dave says
How can we ever find out what really happened when the agency under investigation is being investigated by the same agency. That makes absolutely no sense and there is no way we can trust that report. We need a neutral civilian team doing this investigation not cops that will protect their own gang members from any wrong doing. Maybe internal affairs but even they would be hard to trust. This young man was not given a death sentence, so why would some people suggest he deserved it? Anyone who feels that way should be investigated as a terrorist.
Concerned Citizen says
@constantlyamazed
Regardless of how this young man became incarcerated The Sheriff has a legal responsibility to keep him safe while in custody.
When you are elected and take office as Sheriff you take an Oath. When you are hired on as a sworn Deputy whether it’s for The Jail, Road or other Law Enforcement position you take an oath. That Oath holds you accountable to your job and holds you to higher standards.
This Sheriff and his agency continues to fail the public and largely gets away with it. He’s much too interested in playing Wyatt Earp and riding around with has been public figures or playing SWAT than being an actual leader. He’s gotten cocky and comfortable and forgets he works for and answers to the citizens of this county.
The Sheriff and his agency as well as Armor Health should be investigated by outside agencies and charges should be forthcoming. I would hazard to guess that this isn’t the only serious issue of neglect this agency has had.
Right says
How is it that some of you can’t differentiate between the underlying cause and the lack of needed medical attention? It’s baffling to me. It doesn’t matter WTF the underlying cause is/was, fact is he was running high fevers for days. When he asked for a doctor and asked to be taken to the hospital was denied. THAT’S what is in question here. He was answering for what HE did!!
Richard says
A very SAD outcome and reality of becoming involved with drugs. Many drug addicts die from their addiction in other ways but if this story ends with his death being the responsibility of the the healthcare system provided at the jail then that brings a whole new light to this unnecessary and wrongful death. RIP