Family turns heartbreak into force of power after deadly overdose

WAXHAW, N.C. — Their son and brother, Clay Scott, died of a drug overdose back in 2016 and now the woman who gave him the drugs has pleaded guilty to his murder.

The tight-knit Scott family loved being together growing up on Lake Norman.

“We had a great life,” said Terri Scott.

Clay was never far from his big sister, Amanda Scott.

“He was smart and kind and loving. He loved animals. He loved his family and friends. His faith was very important to him,” Amanda Scott said. “He was pretty much fearless in life in the way I wish I could be.”

Family members said Clay was a gifted athlete, with dreams of playing college ball at Virginia Tech.

“When we were little he didn’t say, ‘When I grow up, I want to struggle with addiction,’” Amanda Scott said.

At 16-years-old, Clay Scott had several intense dental procedures and was given pain medication and that's when Clay's addiction began, family members said.

“We absolutely believe it is a genetic disease,” his mother, Terri Scott, said.

He became addicted to benzodiazepines and years of rehab and treatment facilities followed, they said.

“He was fighting for his life every minute, we were fighting for his life every minute,” said Terri Scott.

Clay Scott overdosed in 2016 when he was 28-years-old.

Terri Scott said she texted the drug supplier and warned her to stay away.

“I told her, ‘The doctor says, ‘You're going to kill him if you give him anything else,’” Terri Scott told Channel 9.

Terri Scott said she pleaded with the woman to leave her son alone.

Clay Scott overdosed three weeks later, the mother said.

The Union County District Attorney's Office secured its first second-degree murder conviction this month against someone who provided drugs that led to his death.

Angela McCorkle pleaded guilty to Clay Scott’s death and will serve between 9 to 12 years in prison.

It's only the second conviction of its kind in North Carolina, officials told Channel 9.

“The murder charge is a big deal, because I think it says a strong message that if you're responsible and involved in someone’s death, you just can't get away with it,” Amanda Scott said.

“She took away everything from us,” Terri Scott said. “We have a life sentence.”

The Scott family wants to make a change.

“We had no idea what it was going to turn our life into,” Terri Scott said.

Their foundation, Change Foundation For Clay, supports those who can't afford treatment.

They're looking to eventually fund research to find a real cure for the disease.

Cox Media Group