Festus, MO – A Crystal City woman has been charged with felony possession of fentanyl following her April 30 arrest from Festus Police, according to court documents filed on Sept. 8, 2025, by the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Teresa Marie Knighton, age 41, of Crystal City, MO faces one count of possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony under Missouri law. Prosecutors allege Knighton knowingly possessed fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, in violation of state statute 579.015.

Due to prior drug convictions, Knighton is being charged as a prior and persistent drug offender, which enhances the potential penalty to that of a class B felony. Court records show Knighton was previously found guilty of felony drug possession on August 22, 2012, and again on December 5, 2022, both in Missouri’s 23rd Judicial Circuit.

If convicted under the enhanced sentencing guidelines, Knighton could face a significantly longer prison term than typically imposed for a class D felony

Paul Barnard Editor

Paul Barnard is the editor of the Twin City News. Barnard Graduated from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college, with a B.S. in Communications and Media Technology. There he studied journalism and marketing. For years after, Barnard was in law enforcement and gained experience in the Special Investigations Unit and publishing all the department's press releases. As Barnard's family grew, he moved on to start Twin City News.

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