Chillicothe Police on Sunday conducted a suspicious death investigation involving a teenager who is believed to have ingested what police call “Counterfeit Prescription Pills.” Two people of interest from Chillicothe have been arrested and were charged on Monday for their alleged roles in the death of the 17-year-old girl.
On Sunday at 11:30, Chillicothe officers were dispatched to an unresponsive and not breathing female in the 400 block of Cherry Street. Also dispatched was the Chillicothe Department of Emergency Services to provide medical assistance. Officers discovered the female was deceased.
During an investigation, police learned the female had ingested counterfeit prescription pills. Since the pills are counterfeit, police said they sometimes contain dangerous amounts of controlled substances which cause overdosing up to death.
Officers also discovered who distributed the controlled substance to the victim, and arrested a 23-year-old female for alleged distribution of the dangerous drug. At 8:39 Sunday night, Chillicothe Police, Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Highway Patrol Troopers executed a search warrant in the 1200 block of Polk Street after obtaining a search warrant through the Livingston County Circuit Court.
During the search, officers located more of the alleged counterfeit pills along with other controlled substances. A 33-year-old male was arrested. Both suspects were transported to the Daviess-DeKalb County Regional Jail in Pattonsburg.
Online court information shows the two people held in custody without bond are 23-year-old Tehya Renae Kelley and 32-year-old Jeremiah Trimaine Horton – both of 1219 Polk Street in Chillicothe.
Online information shows the prosecuting attorney has charged Kelley with involuntary manslaughter in the first degree as well as four counts of delivery of a controlled substance or synthetic cannabinoid. Three other counts for delivery of a controlled substance have been filed on Horton.
Chillicothe Police continue to investigate the case as information is obtained.
Chillicothe Police were assisted by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol, Livingston County Juvenile Office, Livingston County Children’s Division, and the Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The KTTN website has public information from the Drug Enforcement Administration about counterfeit pills and the danger and potency of these fake pills. Officers say talk with your friends, family members, and children about the danger and how to avoid it. A news release said these types of pills have been a problem for larger cities and are trickling into the local area.
Authorities have worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies in an attempt to combat these issues. The information, according to police, is meant to educate the citizenry and work together to stop this problem in the local area.
