FARMINGTON — Five people were arrested Thursday night on drug charges connected to the overdose death of a Farmington woman last year.
The woman, Marilyn Rider, 52, died after a morphine overdose on Nov. 11 at her home on Silver Maple Lane, according to a news release from Farmington police Chief Jack Peck.
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Roy Gordon, 42, of Wilton, and Terry Oliver, 53, of Wilton, each face a charge of aggravated trafficking of drugs that caused the death of another person, according to Peck.
Seth Gordon, 23, of Wilton, and Erick Barnes, 27, of Industry, each face a charge of furnishing schedule W drugs that caused the death of another person, according to Peck.
Scott Kidder, 32, of Wilton, faces a count of furnishing schedule W drugs, according to Peck.
The arrests were made after Farmington police received a report Wednesday from Maine’s chief medical examiner that said Rider’s death was the result of a drug overdose, Peck said.
According to an affidavit filed in Franklin County Superior Court by Sgt. Edward Hastings, Rider’s neighbors reported hearing Roy Gordon yelling for Rider to wake up around 9:30 a.m. Nov. 11. Gordon reportedly then called his parents’ house and asked them to come over. His mother called 911 after she arrived at the apartment. Barnes, Gordon, Gordon’s mother and Rider’s 11-year old son were all at the house when police and an ambulance arrived, according to the affidavit.
According the affidavit, Barnes and Gordon put several needles in a box and removed them before emergency responders came to the apartment.
The incident began when Rider injected morphine the day before during a birthday party for Roy Gordon at his parents’ house in Wilton, according to the affidavit.
The morphine, which originally had been in pill form, was sold the day of the party to Kidder and Gordon by a local source who police later discovered was Oliver, according to the affidavit.
Roy Gordon said Rider gave herself the injection at the party, according to the affidavit.
Roy Gordon’s son, Seth Gordon, told investigators another version of events.
Seth Gordon said he gave Rider the first injection and Barnes, who was also reportedly at the party, gave her a second injection, according to the affidavit.
Seth Gordon said his father prepared the doses, according to the affidavit.
Seth Gordon said Rider became increasingly affected by the drug throughout the night and Rider’s son became upset because he also noticed she was unable to stand up or speak coherently, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit did not say how Rider went from the party in Wilton to her residence in Farmington.
Police who went to the apartment in November said at the time that they, along with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Maine State Police, were investigating an unattended death and were trying to find out what happened during the last 24 hours of Rider’s life.
Farmington police investigated throughout December and, with the help of the two agencies, were able to make the arrests Thursday after the medical examiner confirmed the cause of death.
If convicted, Roy Gordon and Oliver each face up to 30 years in prison and $25,000 in fines on the charge of aggravated trafficking of drugs that caused the death of another person.
Gordon also faces three counts of unlawful furnishing of schedule W drugs and a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines on each charge, and one count of falsifying physical evidence and a possible 364 days in jail and $2,000 in fines.
Oliver also faces two counts of trafficking schedule W drugs and a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines on each charge.
Seth Gordon and Barnes each face up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines on the charge of furnishing schedule W drugs that caused the death of another person.
Barnes also faces a charge of falsifying physical evidence and a possible 364 days in jail and $2,000 in fines.
Kidder faces up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines on the charge of furnishing schedule W drugs.
Bail for both Oliver and Roy Gordon is set at $75,000 cash. Seth Gordon’s bail is $50,000 cash. Barnes’ is $50,000 cash. Kidder’s is $15,000 cash. All five remained in custody Friday afternoon.
Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252
kschroeder@mainetoday.com
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