Saylorsburg woman charged in drug death
A Saylorsburg woman faces a charges of drug delivery resulting in death and involuntary manslaughter in the August overdose death of a Blakeslee man who state police said she sold methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl.
Brittany Nicole Vanhouwe, 30, also faces charges of delivering a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by state police at Lehighton, investigators found a log of drug transactions belonging to Vanhouwe that included the name of Edward G. Blew, 38, of Meixell Valley Road in, Ross Township, resulting in his death.and documented deals to him as recent as the day of his death on Aug. 27. Police also found phone and private Facebook messages between the two detailing drug transactions.
An autopsy on the victim revealed methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system and his death was attributed to “mixed substance toxicity.”
According to police, Vanhouwe had been selling the victim controlled substances on a regular basis from April until the day of his death.
Police responded to a Meixell Valley Road home in Ross Township on Aug. 27 for an unresponsive male. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Police said the home was known to be associated with users of controlled substances.
“I have responded to this residence for multiple drug related overdoses and other drug related incidents,” Trooper Nicolas De La Iglesia said.
A hypodermic needle and several small bags containing a powdery substance were found near the victim.
A witness told police Vanhouwe provided the victim with two bundles of heroin on the day of his death. She allegedly purchased the heroin from a Hispanic male known as “Smoke” along Old Route 115, and purchased the methamphetamine from “Harry” in Sun Valley.
Vanhouwe is currently in Northampton County Prison in charges in another case.
Her preliminary hearing for these charges is scheduled for Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Colleen Mancuso.