MADISON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Authorities arrested Joseph Webster, 46, Thursday on multiple drug and gun charges. Webster was the first person in Nashville to be exonerated of murder when the DA’s Conviction Review Unit overturned his 2005 conviction in 2020.
Webster had been serving a life sentence for a 2005 conviction in the 1998 murder of a man in the Napier-Sudekum community, which was vacated in 2020 after new witness accounts surfaced. He also has a prior felony cocaine possession conviction in 2002. The vacated murder case received widespread coverage at the time.
Thursday’s arrest followed a months-long MNPD narcotics investigation into fentanyl distribution out of Webster’s Canton Pass home. Detectives say he was selling fentanyl from the residence and took him into custody after leaving the home this afternoon.
He was found with 5.1 grams of powder, including white and purple substances. Testing confirmed the white powder contained fentanyl and cocaine, while the purple powder tested positive for fentanyl. A search of the home led to the seizure of two pistols and a large sum of cash.
Webster faces charges including possession of fentanyl and cocaine for resale, unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. His bond is set at $80,000.
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