Judge begins hearing evidence in murder case stemming from fatal overdose

A Las Vegas justice began proceeding grounds Monday successful a second-degree execution case stemming from an opioid overdose that near a 21-year-old dormant earlier this year.

At the decision of the preliminary hearing, Justice of the Peace Joseph Sciscento volition determine whether determination is capable grounds successful the lawsuit for Aria Styron, besides 21, to basal trial. In summation to the execution charge, Styron faces a felony number of selling oregon transporting a controlled substance.

Styron is accused of selling counterfeit medicine pills that aboriginal tested affirmative for fentanyl to a pistillate named Adrianna Folks, who died connected March 4. Las Vegas constabulary person said that Folks’ begetter recovered her dormant wrong her bedroom.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is said to beryllium up to 100 times stronger than morphine. More than 170 Nevadans person been killed by the cause this year, according to records maintained by the Metropolitan Police Department.

Monday’s hearing, primitively acceptable to statesman astatine 9 a.m., was delayed until the precocious day owed to an unfounded weaponry threat that forced a building-wide evacuation astatine the Regional Justice Center successful downtown Las Vegas. It volition resume Tuesday greeting with grounds from astatine slightest 3 much witnesses.

According to Dr. Ben Murie, a aesculapian examiner for the Clark County coroner’s bureau who performed Folks’ autopsy, the pistillate died of fentanyl toxicity. He ruled her mode of decease an accident.

In his grounds Monday, the doc said that 26 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl had been recovered successful Folks’ blood. Over the people of his career, during which helium has performed astir 400 autopsies, Murie said helium has seen cases of lethal doses of fentanyl arsenic debased arsenic 3 nanograms per milliliter.

Throughout the hearing, Styron, dressed successful acheronian bluish jailhouse garb, nervously bounced her close leg, the chains astir her ankles clinking. She has been successful custody astatine the Clark County Detention Center since her apprehension connected Oct. 21, jailhouse records show.

In cross-examination, Styron’s attorney, T. Augustus Claus, questioned wherefore the doc did not regularisation Folks’ decease a suicide, pointing to aged scars connected her assemblage that helium said appeared to beryllium self-inflicted and an evident anterior termination effort erstwhile Folks was a teenager.

“Would it beryllium harmless to accidental that successful this peculiar autopsy of this body, your mode of decease came down to mostly 2 choices: either termination oregon accident?” Claus asked. “Is that correct?”

“That’s correct,” Dr. Murie said.

Following respective objections from prosecutors, the justice allowed Claus to proceed his enactment of questioning but noted that the allegations against his lawsuit were focused connected “where the fentanyl came from, not whether oregon however it was ingested.”

The justice besides heard from Tasha Olson, a Las Vegas constabulary transgression country expert who documented the country of Folks’ overdose. According to Olson, the pistillate was recovered dormant successful a first-floor chamber of her parents’ home. The door, which had been locked, was damaged aft Folks’ begetter kicked it unfastened to cheque connected his daughter.

A lighter was recovered successful her hand, Olson said, and adjacent to Folks’ assemblage were charred aluminum foil, a insubstantial clip, a toothpick and a partially smoked bluish pill, which authorities accidental was purchased from the defendant.

Authorities person said they judge Folks was alert that she was successful possession of pills chopped with fentanyl. According to Styron’s apprehension report, connected the evening earlier Folks was recovered dead, she had taken to Reddit, a fashionable online forum, to item her experiences with the drug, penning that she was “nodding” successful and retired of consciousness.

Still, authorities successful Southern Nevada person progressively been pursuing execution charges against suspects accused of providing fatal cause doses. Styron is astatine slightest the 3rd fishy facing specified charges this year.

Contact Rio Lacanlale astatine rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale connected Twitter.