The criminal case against 16 and Pregnant Season 1 star Whitney Purvis is moving forward, with the State of Georgia indicating that it is nearly ready to put the MTV alum on trial.
As The Ashley previously told you, Whitney— who gave birth to son Weston Jr. during the very first season of the show in 2009— is currently facing a whopping seven felony charges, including a charge of aggravated involuntary manslaughter. The charges stem from the 2025 death of her friend, John Mark Harris, whom prosecutors say Whitney sold a street drug containing fentanyl to that resulted in his death. In February, Whitney pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her.
Since then, it appears that the State of Georgia has been building its case against Whitney. The Ashley can exclusively reveal that a status hearing has been set for August 6 for the case, with a calendar call for the upcoming jury trial planned for August 26.
(A “calendar call” for a jury trial in Georgia is a required pre-trial hearing where both attorneys will reveal if they are ready to go to trial, need a continuance, or if they have reached a plea agreement.)
In addition to the aggravated involuntary manslaughter charge, Whitney is also facing four felony charges of “Illegal Use of a Communication Facility” (all with different offense dates, which indicates that Whitney allegedly committed that crime multiple times). She is also being charged with “Sale of Fentanyl” and “Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute,” which are both felony-level charges.
(Whitney has been accused of distributing Tranq— a drug that contains a combination of fentanyl and xylazine— to her friend John Mark Harris, who died in February 2025 after taking the drug. It is the alleged sale on February 16 that prosecutors say caused John Mark Harris’ death on February 17.)
In March, both sides sent subpoenas to witnesses they plan to call at Whitney’s trial, including city and county police officers, toxicologists and others who handled the victim and incident. The State also notified Whitney and her public defender that they plan to call experts in forensic chemistry, pathology and toxicology.
In addition, the prosecutors have informed Whit and her legal team that they intend to introduce “residual hearsay” evidence at trial, in the form of statements made by John Mark Harris to Whitney on various dates before he died, through the testimony of other people and cell phone records. (Obviously, John Mark Harris is deceased and cannot be cross-examined on these statements so that’s why it must be noted if one side wants to use “residual hearsay” as evidence.)
The State of Georgia also plans to use a statement Whitney made to authorities during an interview at the police station on July 7, 2025. It appears that this statement may have been some sort of confession and, because of this, a Jackson-Denno hearing is being requested.
(This is a court proceeding used to determine whether a defendant’s confession or statement to law enforcement was given voluntarily, and was not made because the defendant was coerced, threatened or promised anything for confessing. Once a judge determines that a statement was made voluntarily, it can be used as evidence at the trial.)
The General Bill of Indictment— filed on January 9, 2026 and obtained by The Ashley— claims that on or around January 23, 2025, Whitney used her cellphone to introduce “the idea of a controlled substance to John Mark Harris, discussing its potential effects and pricing, discussing delivery and payment methods, and describing how to ingest said substance by using aluminum foil.”
One week later, the Bill of Indictment claims that Whitney again used her cellphone to discuss selling the substance to him again. Whitney is also accused of “sending a picture verifying delivery of said substance to the residence of John Mark Harris…”
On February 3, 2025, Whitney again allegedly used her cell phone to discuss another sale of the substance and to confirm “she is on the way to deliver said substance to the residence of John Mark Harris.” She is accused of doing similar sales to him on February 14 and February 16 as well. It is the alleged sale on February 16 that prosecutors say caused John Mark Harris’ death on February 17.
In June, the State gave notice of everything it plans to introduce as evidence at Whitney’s trial, including John Mark Harris’ online obituary, which Whitney left a comment on (before she was arrested).
The prosecutors also plan to introduce videos, John Mark Harris’ autopsy report and more.
The state of Georgia has been cracking down on fentanyl-related crimes since the passing of Senate Bill 465, aka “Austin’s Law,” in 2024. The bill created a new offense category —felony aggravated involuntary manslaughter— under which drug dealers and distributors can be prosecuted for their role in a person’s death if they are determined to have helped manufacture or sell the deadly fentanyl drug.
Whitney has been free on bond since last year. She is the mother of three; however, her eldest child Weston Jr., passed away last year at the age of 16.
RELATED STORY: Former “16 & Pregnant” Star Whitney Purvis Posts Tribute to Late Son Weston Jr. on What Would’ve Been His 17th Birthday
(Photos: Floyd County Sheriff’s Office; Facebook; MTV)
13 Responses
So much tragedy in one young life.
How sad. She should be held responsible. She directly contributed to ending someone else’s life.
That obit comment 😬
Something about her son’s death seems sketchy to me. Autopsy said the kid died of natural causes. And yes, he did have a host of health issues, but…natural causes? I don’t get how a 16 year old dies of natural causes. Also, his father had a life insurance policy on him!! Most parents don’t do that!! They go on GoFundMe and beg for burial money and “a celebration of life” money. And that’s EXACTLY what his father and step mom did! Even though they got a life insurance pay off, they begged for money! That’s really messed up. Whitney and her ex remind me of David and Jenelle. Thinking of themselves only and how they can rake in the dough!
This is a vile comment without any basis in reality. Weston had several health issues include alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Addison disease, and type I diabetes. Whether or not you care for his parents doesn’t change the fact that this was what Weston’s life was like–to make accusations like this is unconscionable. Think about what you’re putting into the world.
What the fuck are you even talking about? I am simply saying that something seems off when they are saying he died of natural causes! I keep forgetting that the majority of you people on here have zero reading comprehension. I CLEARLY said that yes, I know he had several health issues, yet you decide to list them? And seriously? Are you trying to speak like Farrah does? “This is a vile comment without any basis in reality”??? Is that your attempt at trying to sound intelligent? LOL! Basis in reality? Maybe you should learn to make sense. I found it weird that his father had a life insurance policy on him, which is something young parents would rarely have. Yet he still decides to beg money on GoFundMe for his service? If you find it “vile” to point this out, then maybe you shouldn’t be on social media. You obviously live in a world of denial if you think people should believe that the entire world is on the up and up. Get real.
People die of natural causes at young ages all the time. Sudden death. Very sad but very real.
The gaslighting here is incredible. You said the son’s death seemed “sketchy” and that you “don’t get how a 16 year old dies of natural causes”, then stating “they got a life insurance pay off”. It was less vague insinuation and more practically blatant accusation that they were somehow involved in his death. The parents of chronically ill children are often encouraged to consider taking out life insurance because of the sad reality that they may bury them, which can be incredibly expensive. And the healthcare system in this country is so broken it’s realistic that the life insurance policy did not take away all their money woes, as I suspect caring for Weston during his life was also costly. Don’t show up here, say horrible things, and then call me unintelligent to hide what you said. You’ve got 16 thumbs down and zero thumbs up. And if you think I sound like Farrah you may need to get your head checked. Also, please point to the place where I said I “believe that the entire world is on the up and up.” I’m waiting.
Hilarious!!! I couldn’t care less what an uneducated bitch like you thinks! I said nothing “horrible” or “gaslighting” And yes, you sound EXACTLY like unhinged Farrah, trying to use words that don’t fit or even make sense where you use them! LOL! LOL! You are simply trying to get likes and attention for being little miss suck-up. And where exactly did I say that YOU said you believe the whole world is on the up and up? Try to learn to read like a big girl. The last sentence CLEARLY says “You clearly live in a world of denial if you believe that the entire world is on the up and up.” See that? It says “IF you believe” Where did I say that “You believe”? Read carefully, I’m waiting. And I would bet that you will refuse to admit your mistake.
My grandparents gave us all life insurance policies the day we were born . Absolutely nothing sinister about it . I carried that tradition on with each of my children . I know
Plenty of families just like us .. not sure if u don’t get out much or u don’t know alot of successful people who can afford to pay for their own funeral without go fund me or begging for donations.
Damn whit
She looks worse with every mug shot.
That’s kinda how drugs work