Washington woman guilty of Canton Township man’s drug death
A Washington woman accused of facilitating a transaction of fentanyl-laced cocaine that killed a man nearly immediately after he received the drugs from her boyfriend in December 2019 was found guilty Thursday following a three-day bench trial.
Ashley Renee Matthews was found guilty on all charges, including felony drug delivery resulting in death, by Judge Brandon Neuman in Washington County Court of Common Pleas in connection with the death of 37-year-old Brandon Howard.
Washington County Assistant District Attorney Rachel Wheeler said Matthews spoke to Howard through a social media text messenger app to set up the deal with her boyfriend, Robert Michael Hayes Jr., on Dec. 21, 2019. Matthews and Hayes then went to Howard’s apartment in Canton Township, where they exchanged cocaine for marijuana.
Wheeler said less than 10 minutes after the couple left Howard’s apartment, Hayes sent a text message to Howard telling him to only use a small amount to “see how it hits you.” But Howard had already ingested the cocaine by that point, Wheeler said, and never saw the message because he was already incapacitated. State police charged Matthews and Hayes in February 2020 in connection to Howard’s death.
“We are very pleased (with the guilty verdict) because she was integral in setting up this deal that caused Mr. Howard’s death,” Wheeler said. “Testimony showed she had warned Mr. Hayes about these drugs, so there was an indication she knew there was something wrong with them and she still arranged the deal.”
Robert Michael Hayes Jr.
Hayes also was charged with selling another batch of fentanyl-laced cocaine that killed Joseph Christopher Francis, 43, of Washington, on Jan. 24, 2020. Hayes, 41, of Washington, pleaded guilty Feb. 8 to two counts of drug delivery resulting in death and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the deadly batch given to Howard and later Francis. He was sentenced to serve 8 ½ to 20 years in prison.
After listening to closing arguments Thursday afternoon, Neuman recessed for about 20 minutes before finding Matthews guilty on all charges that also included criminal use of a communications facility, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Matthews, 37, will be sentenced by Neuman at 10 a.m. Aug. 8.
Her defense attorney, Almon Burke Jr., could not be reached for comment Thursday following the verdict.