FARMINGTON — Five people arrested on drug charges in a local woman's death in November sought reduced bail in 12th District Court on Friday.
Five people arrested on drug charges involving a woman's death in November 2012 appear in 12th District Court in Farmington on Friday. Suspect Terry Oliver, 53, of Wilton, center foreground, prepares to leave the court as suspect Roy Gordon, 42, of Wilton talks with lawyer David Joyce, background right. Also in court were suspects Eric Barnes, 27, of Industry, Seth Gordon, 23, of Wilton and Scott Kidder, 32, of Wilton.
Five people arrested on drug charges involving a woman's death in November 2012 appear in 12th District Court in Farmington on Friday. Dressed in prison suits are, from left, Scott Kidder, 32, of Wilton, Eric Barnes, 27, of Industry, Seth Gordon, 23, of Wilton, Roy Gordon, 42, of Wilton, and Terry Oliver, 53, of Wilton, behind guard.
Suspects were arrested Thursday night after police completed their investigation into the drug-overdose death of Marilyn Rider, 52.
Police were called to her Silver Maple Lane home Nov. 11 for an unattended death, an apparent drug overdose. The investigation revealed information about the source of the morphine and drug activity involving the five, Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck said.
A report Wednesday from the State Medical Examiner's Office showed Rider died from acute morphine exposure. Sgt. Edward Hastings IV of the Farmington Police Department obtained warrants Thursday for Roy Gordon, 42, of Wilton, Terry Oliver, 53, of Wilton, Seth Gordon, 23, of Wilton, Eric Barnes, 27, of Industry and Scott Kidder, 32, of Wilton.
Rider's boyfriend, Roy Gordon, was charged with aggravated trafficking of illegal drugs that caused the death of another person, three counts of unlawful furnishing of illegal drugs and one charge of falsifying physical evidence.
Oliver was charged with aggravated trafficking of illegal drugs that caused the death of another person, and two felony counts of trafficking in illegal drugs.
Seth Gordon was arrested on a charge of unlawful furnishing of illegal drugs that caused the death of another person, and Barnes was arrested on a felony charge of unlawful furnishing of illegal drugs that caused a death and a charge of falsifying physical evidence. Kidder was charged with furnishing illegal drugs.
Roy Gordon and Barnes were charged with falsifying physical evidence for removing material considered evidence from the scene before police arrived, Peck said.
According to court documents, on the day of Rider's death, Gordon couldn't wake her and called his mother. Once she arrived, they called 911 to report Rider's death.
Police obtained information from Rider's son that the couple had used morphine the day before at Gordon's birthday party in Wilton.
The son also told police that Gordon and Barnes cleaned the apartment after Gordon found Rider. They removed several needles from the apartment before police or the ambulance arrived, according to court documents.
Police were permitted to search Gordon's mother's car, in which they found the box containing needles, spoons and prescription medicine, as described by Rider's son.
Police also learned Scott Kidder was at the party and used morphine. The pills were taken intravenously.
Gordon and Kidder bought morphine pills from Terry Oliver on Nov. 10, police said.
In December, Oliver told police she had sold her prescription morphine, 112 30-milligram pills per month, for the past several months and before that, had sold her prescription oxycodone. Both drugs are addictive opiates.
Seth Gordon was at the birthday party at his grandparents' house and injected Rider with her first "hit" of morphine, according to court documents. Barnes gave her other injections. These were prepared by Roy Gordon, who told police Rider injected herself.
Court records say that as the party wore on, Rider became more affected by the drug, incoherent and unable to stand. An initial exam by a medical examiner revealed several injection points on Rider's arms, consistent with intravenous drug use, the examiner said in the warrant.
In court Friday, Assistant District Attorney James Andrews said Roy Gordon has an extensive criminal record and was on administrative leave for theft at the time of the November 2012 incident.
Attorney Kevin Joyce told Judge Nancy Carlson that Gordon has submitted himself to a drug program and is making progress.
Carlson set Gordon's bail at $20,000 cash.
Andrews said Oliver had an extensive record but nothing recent. She had 19 convictions for negotiating a worthless instrument in the 1980s. Andrews asked for $5,000 cash bail or a Maine Pretrial Services contract.
Joyce said Oliver takes care of her mother and an adult daughter with medical issues. He sought a pretrial contract.
Carlson wanted a higher bail due to the nature of the crime. She set Oliver's bail at $15,000 cash or the pretrial contract, which would require Oliver to check in with a court official on regularly and abide by other conditions.
Kidder was on probation for burglary at the time of the incident and has an extensive record, Andrews said. He sought $20,000 cash bail, but Carlson set bail at $15,000 cash and said Kidder was not eligible for a pretrial contract.
Bail for Seth Gordon and Eric Barnes was set at $5,000 cash each or pretrial contracts.
Bail conditions for each of the five include no use or possession of drugs, random search and no contact with each other or other witnesses in the case.
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I think it's time....
In these days of speedy emergency legislation, I think it's time to pass a bill making it illegal to accept a prescription, for a controlled substance you don't need. I realize that doctors writing the prescriptions, do so partially on the word of the patient and from whatever physical evidence is available. This puts doctors in a particularly difficult position. A lot of times if they err on the side of caution, they may not be treating the patient properly, if they take the chance and prescribe, they face the possibility of being in trouble with the law.
With the number of people out there lying to receive unneeded pain medications for recreational use, its no wonder people who absolutely need pain management suffer the backlash. I have actually had one doctor recently, who was only recently assigned as my PCP, give me the third degree, because I breached the subject of changing my pain management treatment. This doctor jumped at me out of paranoia. He wasn't adequately familiar with my particular medical needs and wasn't willing to take me at my word. Obviously within two days I fired this doctor and moved on. Without proper pain control, within eighteen hours, I would be hospitalized, end of story.
I know there's no magic wand that will identify all the cheaters out there, but I also feel legitimate patients should have the freedom to discuss these issues openly without the risk of retribution. Therefore I feel that if a significant amount of risk was put on the patient as well as what the doctor already faces, maybe cheaters may reconsider.
If there was an additional law in place, which would significantly punish a person , not only for having the controlled substance,or just lying to get a prescription but accepting an unneeded prescription from the doctor. Anyone who sells pain medication prescribed to them knows in advance they don't really need it. They are not only putting physicians at risk, they interfere with the lives of legitimate pain patients.
I feel that if lawmakers would work at passing legislation that would not only severely punish that element of patients who abuse the system and allow doctors to treat their patients without fear of retribution, true patients may benefit. Put the blame where it belongs. Doctors aren't really as magical as some lawmakers think, their human and subject to the same manipulation and lying as anyone.
Times have changed, so should the laws.....
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