Drug Overdose

LANCASTER - The Garrard County man found dead outside of Burger House in April died of an accidental drug overdose, according to the autopsy report. Curtis W. Davis, 34, was found dead in his truck in the restaurant's parking lot on April 26. Some had speculated he died from choking on a hamburger, as he suffered from a swelling and inflammation of the esophagus known as esophagitis. But he died of an “acute and chronic” intoxication of drugs, including methamphetamine, amphetamine and the painkiller oxymorphone, according to the autopsy.

Barry Justin Bell, 30, of Junction City died Friday at his home of an accidental drug overdose, Boyle County Coroner Dr. James W. Ramey said today. Ramey said one of his deputies, Dr. Don Hamner, investigated Bell's death and determined from drug screenings that drug overdose was the cause of death. Bell had been undergoing treatment for drug problems, Ramey said.

Trey VanHook, 22, of Waynesburg, died Sunday at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. Pulaski County Coroner Richard New said hospital records show the cause of death as a drug overdose. Toxicology results are expected to be completed within a month, he said. Van Hook was preceded in death in similar circumstances by his 18-year-old cousin Josh VanHook on May 14. "This is the third young adult in the past six months that I've buried in similar situations," said Lincoln County Coroner Bill Demrow.

WAYNESBURG - A 22-year-old's untimely death brings a word of warning from the Pulaski County coroner to teens who experiment with drugs. Trace VanHook III died Sunday at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital due to a drug overdose according to hospital records, said Coroner Richard New. "It's always such a sensitive matter," New said, in reference to releasing information on drug-related deaths. "On the other hand, the public needs to know how serious of a problem it is, and how many lives are lost by drugs.

LIBERTY - Authorities are investigating Sunday's death of a Casey County man as possibly the sixth prescription drug overdose victim in the county this year. Brandon Spears, 24, was pronounced dead at Casey County Hospital at 12:05 p.m., said Deputy Coroner Betty Clark. His body was sent to Frankfort for an autopsy and results will not be available for six to eight weeks, Clark said, declining to comment further. Kentucky State Police Trooper Dwaine Barnett, a public affairs officer at the KSP post in Columbia, said this morning that investigators believe Spears' death is among three overdose deaths that occurred over the weekend, with the other two being in Clinton and Cumberland counties.

Sheriff's Deputy Danny Gilliam responded to a caller from Old Fall Lick Road in Crab Orchard Friday afternoon who stated a young woman was at her house demanding things and acting very strangely. The caller turned away the woman, who then drove her car across the street and to the Hopkins Cemetary. When Deputy Gilliam arrived, he found the Garrard County woman unresponsive and cold and speculated that she had taken a drug overdose. Members of Lincoln County EMS took the victim to Ephraim McDowell Hospital, where she died.

LANCASTER - A Garrard County woman whose body was found on her porch this summer died of an accidential drug overdose, officials said. Angela “Ann” Salata, 47, was found dead on the porch of her 118 Ridgecrest Drive home on July 10, said state Trooper Paul Blanton. She had been dead for several days; the level of decomposition of her body due to the length of time she was dead as well as the July heat wave made conducting an autopsy lengthier and much more difficult than usual, said Garrard Coroner Daryl Hodge.

LIBERTY - The Wednesday death of a Liberty man is the fourth being investigated as a possible drug overdose in the past three weeks in Casey County, authorities said. An autopsy was conducted today on Mark Anthony Sharp, 31, of 197 Lewis Lane, at the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort, said Deputy Coroner Betty Clark. The results are pending toxicology reports, according to information she received this morning from the medical examiner's office. Officers were called to Casey County Hospital at 9:07 a.m. Thursday.

LANCASTER - Police in Lancaster are investigating the Friday death of a Crab Orchard woman who was found dead inside a friend's home in Lancaster. A drug overdose is suspected in the death of Jessica Marie Manuel, 23, said Garrard County Coroner Daryl Hodge. Her body was discovered about 10 a.m. Friday by her friend at his residence at 103 Totten Ave. There were no signs of trauma and foul play is not suspected, Hodge said. The results of a preliminary autopsy, which was performed Friday afternoon in Frankfort, came back inconclusive, Hodge said.

Interim Coroner Robert Gayheart, a Democrat, and his opponent, Republican Paul Hollingsworth, have different goals to pursue if elected as Clark County coroner next week. Gayheart hopes to establish a statistical database and awareness programs in local schools. Hollingsworth wants to get more involved with disaster preparedness, and one day get the office its own facility. But both men are similar in some ways too. Gayheart and Hollingsworth are both men of faith. Gayheart is an ordained minister, and Hollingsworth is on staff at First Church of God in Winchester.

After an hour-long hearing in District Court, the judge couldn't justify the murder charge against an alleged drug dealer. Instead, she reduced the charge to reckless homicide and sent the case to the grand jury. Harold Wayne Salyers, 52, of 1815 Old Ruckerville Road, was arrested earlier this month after police received the toxicology results for Wade Dickerson, who died from a drug overdose Aug. 8. During Salyers' preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon, Winchester Police Sgt. Tom Beall said Salyers admitted to selling Dickerson the drugs prior to his death.

LANCASTER - A Garrard County woman whose body was found on her porch this summer died of an accidential drug overdose, officials said. Angela “Ann” Salata, 47, was found dead on the porch of her 118 Ridgecrest Drive home on July 10, said state Trooper Paul Blanton. She had been dead for several days; the level of decomposition of her body due to the length of time she was dead as well as the July heat wave made conducting an autopsy lengthier and much more difficult than usual, said Garrard Coroner Daryl Hodge.

LANCASTER - The Garrard County man found dead outside of Burger House in April died of an accidental drug overdose, according to the autopsy report. Curtis W. Davis, 34, was found dead in his truck in the restaurant's parking lot on April 26. Some had speculated he died from choking on a hamburger, as he suffered from a swelling and inflammation of the esophagus known as esophagitis. But he died of an “acute and chronic” intoxication of drugs, including methamphetamine, amphetamine and the painkiller oxymorphone, according to the autopsy.

State Rep. Donna Mayfield (R-Winchester) and state Sen. Minority Leader R.J. Palmer, (D-Winchester) have both introduced legislation to tighten controls on “pill mills” and reduce the illegal purchase of prescription drugs in the state. House Bill 251 and Senate Bill 98 would both offer specific definitions for pain management facilities, along with their own unique requirements. HB 251 would also prohibit these facilities from accepting cash as payment, and would require a person trying to purchase prescriptions to show photo ID. Under the legislation, a first offense violation of the law would be a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum 90-day jail term.

The numbers are staggering: We’re losing 82 Kentuckians a month to drug overdose, from the cities to rural areas in Appalachia. Nearly 1,000 of our fellow Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2009, more than those killed in traffic crashes. Last year, law enforcement responded to 1,100 meth lab sites across the state, up from 738 in 2009. And Kentucky ranks in the top three of marijuana-producing states. Too many of our children are experimenting with drugs. Kentucky ranked eighth in the nation for abuse of prescription pain reliever drugs among 12- to 17-year-olds, and in Eastern Kentucky the average age when a child first gets high on prescription pills is 11. Drug abuse persists as a serious problem in all 120 counties of the commonwealth.

"I don't care if I go to hell," Autumn said. The thread of our conversation began a couple of mornings earlier. Autumn had called, telling about her brother-in-law: "He died of a drug overdose. " As we talked she injected, "I don't think he went to heaven. " Autumn is like a daughter to me. Every aspect of her life is important to me - especially her spiritual life. Maybe God was opening a door for me to talk to her. Instantly, I discovered she was unconcerned about her eternal destination.

Interim Coroner Robert Gayheart, a Democrat, and his opponent, Republican Paul Hollingsworth, have different goals to pursue if elected as Clark County coroner next week. Gayheart hopes to establish a statistical database and awareness programs in local schools. Hollingsworth wants to get more involved with disaster preparedness, and one day get the office its own facility. But both men are similar in some ways too. Gayheart and Hollingsworth are both men of faith. Gayheart is an ordained minister, and Hollingsworth is on staff at First Church of God in Winchester.

An extensive search for Clark County Coroner David Jacobs ended with a tragic discovery Friday at a Richmond motel. Housekeeping staff at the Best Western near the Eastern Bypass and Interstate 75 discovered the lifeless body of the Winchester man in his room about 1 p.m. Jacobs died of a drug overdose - apparently a suicide, according to Richmond Police. Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue said he thinks Jacobs had been at the motel since last Friday, when he went missing.

Barry Justin Bell, 30, of Junction City died Friday at his home of an accidental drug overdose, Boyle County Coroner Dr. James W. Ramey said today. Ramey said one of his deputies, Dr. Don Hamner, investigated Bell's death and determined from drug screenings that drug overdose was the cause of death. Bell had been undergoing treatment for drug problems, Ramey said.

Editor's note: Taken from the Danville 911 records, the Police Blotter represents a history of the initial calls and the information used by the dispatcher to send officers to investigate complaints. It is not necessarily an indication of what the officer found upon arrival at the scene, or of how the complaint may have been dealt with. JUNE 16 12:41 a.m., citizen requesting assistance because the key to her vehicle was stolen and she is stranded on Hill-N-Dale Drive; arrest made.