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'I found him laying on the floor' | Family speaks after man charged in connection to a deadly drug overdose

Reidsville Police say 25-year-old Samuel Purgason died of an overdose in January.

REIDSVILLE, N.C. — Reidsville Police have arrested a man they say is connected to a deadly overdose. 

The Special Investigations Unit of the Reidsville Police Department charged 34-year-old Patrick Rickel Millner with Death by Distribution. 

Credit: Reidsville Police Department

The department says 25-year-old Samuel Purgason died of an overdose on Jan. 2. 

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Purgason's family says they knew he struggled with addiction but didn't know he took anything the morning he died.

The day of January 2 still leaves a scar on Anne Biggs, Samuel's mother, and Jennifer Purgason, Samuel's sister. 

Credit: Jennifer Purgason

"I found him laying on the floor," said Jennifer. 

"She screamed for me," said Biggs.

"I ran to get her and told her that he wasn’t breathing," Jennifer said. 

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Biggs says her advice to other families is to hold your loved ones close. 

"No matter how old they get, stay in their business. Stay in their business. No matter if they’re 30, 40 years old, stay in their business because it's important to know who your children are hanging with," said Purgason's mother Anne Biggs.

 "Don’t think they're less of what they are because they're still people," said Jennifer. 

"We give God all the glory for getting us through this," said Anne, "That's what Sam would have said."

Credit: Jennifer Purgason

"He had the biggest heart. He had the biggest heart. He would forgive anybody and in a split second, he would forgive you," said Biggs. 

"He wanted to see you smile before he went to bed. He didn’t want anyone to go to bed sad. He always cared about other people," said Jennifer.

RELATED: 'Death by Distribution': People accused of selling drugs that contribute to an overdose face high-level felony conviction

Biggs says the arrest won't bring her son back, and now leaves two families without their loved ones by their side. 

"I'm sorry for his parents because they're losing a son also but they can visit him and I can't visit mine. He's gone," she said. 

Police say Millner, who's from Greensboro, was selling heroin. 

Millner is in the Rockingham County Jail with a bond of $250,000.

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