What happened to William Nolen? Girlfriend arrested in fired Texas Judge overdose death

Former Associate Tarrant County Judge William Nolen's 35-year-old girlfriend, Kami Ludwig, has been arrested by Texas authorities. She is accused of supplying him with fentanyl, leading to his fatal overdose on November 20, 2023. Ludwig is now facing a first-degree murder charge under a law that permits the charging of drug dealers with murder if a user dies of an overdose.

Grapevine police arrested Ludwig this week, accusing her of procuring fentanyl-laced pills from dealers in Fort Worth and Louisiana, which she allegedly supplied to Nolen. William Nolen, the 47-year-old former judge who was terminated from the 323rd District Court in November 2019 for violating court orders, succumbed to an overdose in a Grapevine home, as reported by NBCDFW.

---

William Nolen's overdose death leads to a murder charge against his girlfriend

On November 20, 2023, Grapevine Police responded to a call at a residence on the 4100 block of Mapelridge Drive, where they discovered the lifeless body of former Associate Tarrant County Judge William Nolen in his bedroom. Signs indicative of an opioid overdose were present, with rigor mortis having already set in.

According to an affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the scene revealed numerous narcotics strewn about, including pills believed to be Xanax. Amanda McNew, the police department's public information officer and media manager, stated, "And when officers arrived… it was obvious he'd been dead for a while."

Amanda McNew elaborated that Ludwig had rushed to a neighbor's house to call 911 upon discovering William Nolen's lifeless body. Inside the bathroom a few feet away, officers found Ludwig's purse containing 40 blue pills, later confirmed by laboratory tests from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office to be laced with fentanyl.

Additionally, various narcotics, including cocaine, oxycodone, and alprazolam (the generic brand of Xanax), were collected as evidence, as reported by NBCDFW.

Identifying herself as William Nolen's girlfriend, Ludwig was promptly arrested and initially charged with the possession of multiple controlled substances. The case took a more severe turn when William Nolen's toxicology report was finalized, revealing mixed drug toxicity (fentanyl, tazodone) as the cause of death as reported by FOX4.

Amanda McNew emphasized, "It wasn't until toxicology comes back that they can confirm that he did, in fact, die because of fentanyl." Grapevine Police collaborated with the Mid-Cities Drug Task Force and the DEA to investigate the origin of the drugs and identify those responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of the fentanyl-laced pills.

---

Kami Ludwig charged under new fentanyl law over the death of William Nolen

The death of former Associate Tarrant County Judge William Nolen has led to a murder charge against 35-year-old Kami Ludwig under a new Texas law. Enacted in September, the law allows individuals supplying fentanyl that results in death to be charged with murder. Governor Greg Abbott signed this legislation, House Bill 6 (HB6), in June to address the escalating fentanyl crisis.

Under HB6, those providing fentanyl resulting in a fatality can be held accountable for murder, and the law mandates the specific listing of fentanyl-related deaths on certificates as reported by Law & Crime.

The investigation into William Nolen's death revealed crucial evidence on Ludwig's cellphone. Contact names, identified as "Blue" and "T," played a pivotal role in tracing the source of Ludwig's drug supply. The affidavit details Ludwig's messages to "T," asking to visit their Fort Worth residence.

Investigators obtained a warrant to retrieve Ludwig's cellphone location data from November 19, revealing her presence at "Blue" and "T's" residences in Fort Worth around 7 p.m.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., Ludwig reportedly called William Nolen from the same Fort Worth address. Subsequently, Ludwig returned to Nolen's home in Grapevine and contacted the police at 4:45 a.m. on November 20.

According to Amanda McNew, Grapevine Police Department's Public Information Officer and Media Manager, Ludwig purposefully sought drugs from another individual, drove to obtain them, and then brought them to William Nolen's home, resulting in his fatal overdose as reported by FOX4.

In response to the murder charge against her client, Kami Ludwig, defense attorney Tiffany Burks issued a statement expressing condolences to the family and friends of former judge Shane Nolen.

She told FOX4 "Any fentanyl-related death is a tragedy, and our condolences go out to the friends and family affected by the sudden loss of former judge Shane Nolen. Fentanyl murder is a serious accusation, and judgment should be withheld until all the facts and circumstances are known. We proudly defend Kami as she, too, struggles with the loss of a beloved friend."

Ludwig faced a warrant for her arrest on Friday, Feb. 9, and authorities reported that she willingly surrendered in Tarrant County on Monday, Feb. 12. Ludwig has been released on bail from jail. Grapevine police are actively pursuing the drug dealers, and additional arrests are a possibility.