Pills sold between two friends, according to a Gainesville Police investigator, led to one 23-year-old’s death.
Investigator Glenn Ewing testified Thursday morning at the probable cause hearing for Casey Aaron Trichel, 24, of Winder.
Trichel was charged with felony murder and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in connection with Winder man Joseph Patterson’s death.
Patterson was found dead on the floor of a Shades Valley Lane home in Gainesville on Feb. 16.
Ewing said Patterson was visiting Feb. 15 in Gainesville with a cousin, who had a few drinks and played video games.
“At some point during the evening, Joseph made a phone call and he advised (the cousin) that he was going to have to leave for a few minutes to go meet with somebody to pay bail for Casey Trichel,” Ewing said.
The cousin told Ewing that Patterson returned 30 minutes later. The cousin noticed that Patterson was slumped over and breathing strangely. The cousin laid Patterson on the floor to sleep, Ewing said.
The following day at work, the cousin told Ewing that he “started getting text messages and phone calls from family members of Joseph’s stating that he needed to go back to the apartment to check on Joseph.”
“There was a rumor that he was sold some pills that weren’t what they were supposed to be and possibly had heroin in them,” Ewing said.
The drugs were tested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and found to be fentanyl, a drug much stronger than heroin, Ewing said. The investigator said 4.5 pills were found in Patterson’s wallet.
According to the lab report, the drugs were stamped to
look like oxycodone.
Patterson’s stepfather, according to Ewing’s testimony, said that Trichel also called.
“(Trichel) left frantic messages on voice recordings that stated to call him back immediately and this was an emergency,” Ewing said.
Trichel, according to Ewing’s testimony, was trying to let Patterson know that the pills weren’t what Trichel thought they were.
Trichel was represented by attorney Scott Drake, who asked Ewing about the messages and the evidence preservation.
The charges were moved on to Superior Court.