Found Deceased AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 #5

[Deleted member 110058]

Jan 16, 2020

Breaking News Warrant in Connection with Houston's Death

John Huddleston @Fox6Joh video news report live from Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept:

".....Officials said nothing about this being a homicide... their comments lead you to believe this was not one....."

Authorities actively searching for registered sex offender in connection to Paighton Houston’s death

Hmmmm. Not calling it a homicide. Interesting! That indicates self inflicted. IMO

Interesting thought. Although it does not seem to fit, technically we can't rule this out.
To confirm, due to the laws in AL, if drugs were involved...the death could not be ruled 'accidental' correct?

 

[Seattle1]

Interesting thought. Although it does not seem to fit, technically we can't rule this out.
To confirm, due to the laws in AL, if drugs were involved...the death could not be ruled 'accidental' correct?

Sure it can for the user -- there's a true epidemic happening now with the influx of counterfeit opioids that are laced with fentanyl. It's very frightening because it's everywhere! Our local high school had to host funeral services for 4 teens that died at Thanksgiving by accidental OD. As for the supplier of any illicit substance -- that is no accident and AL allows the individual to be charged with murder.

 

[Deleted member 110058]

Sure it can for the user -- there's a true epidemic happening now with the influx of counterfeit opioids that are laced with fentanyl. It's very frightening because it's everywhere! Our local high school had to host funeral services for 4 teens that died at Thanksgiving by accidental OD. As for the supplier of any illicit substance -- that is no accident and AL allows the individual to be charged with murder.

Oh my gosh @Seattle1.....horrifying. I am so sorry to hear about this.
Thanks for confirming that an OD couldn't be deemed accidental in AL.
Even if it was a suicide attempt...would still be a homicide.

 

[Seattle1]

Oh my gosh @Seattle1.....horrifying. I am so sorry to hear about this.
Thanks for confirming that an OD couldn't be deemed accidental in AL.
Even if it was a suicide attempt...would still be a homicide.

Here's an example -- this just happened a few months ago in Hueytown, AL:

Man charged with murder after passenger’s heroin death

A Hueytown man has been charged with murder in the suspected heroin overdose death of another man earlier this week.

Police obtained warrants against Cecil William Cox, 57, in the Wednesday death of 27-year-old Robert Beane. Authorities say Cox not only provided the illicit drugs to the victim, but then failed to call 911 when Beane began to overdose.

[..]

Beane was found outside of a vehicle at Cox’s home in the 3900 block of Old Johns Road at 4:08 a.m. Wednesday, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. Beane was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports.

“He furnished narcotics to another individual who overdoses and died,’’ Yarbrough said. “And Mr. Cox did nothing to save him.”

Under Alabama’s felony murder law, a person can be charged with murder if they are participating in a felony crime that results in death. The crime, Yarbrough said, was distributing illicit drugs.

Cox, who has a history of drug arrests, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 12:02 a.m. Friday. He remains held on $75,000 bond.

 

[cluciano63]

Oh my gosh @Seattle1.....horrifying. I am so sorry to hear about this.
Thanks for confirming that an OD couldn't be deemed accidental in AL.
Even if it was a suicide attempt...would still be a homicide.

Do the law say that a suicide by drugs would be a murder?

 

[Seattle1]

Do the law say that a suicide by drugs would be a murder?

In a suicide, the victim is already dead but just like an OD, about 20 states now have laws where a person can be charged with murder if they are participating in a felony crime that results in death.
Distributing illicit drugs is a felony crime in AL and therefore the supplier can be charged with murder in the suicide death.

 

[Momma2cam]

Here's an example -- this just happened a few months ago in Hueytown, AL:

Man charged with murder after passenger’s heroin death

A Hueytown man has been charged with murder in the suspected heroin overdose death of another man earlier this week.

Police obtained warrants against Cecil William Cox, 57, in the Wednesday death of 27-year-old Robert Beane. Authorities say Cox not only provided the illicit drugs to the victim, but then failed to call 911 when Beane began to overdose.

[..]

Beane was found outside of a vehicle at Cox’s home in the 3900 block of Old Johns Road at 4:08 a.m. Wednesday, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. Beane was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports.

“He furnished narcotics to another individual who overdoses and died,’’ Yarbrough said. “And Mr. Cox did nothing to save him.”

Under Alabama’s felony murder law, a person can be charged with murder if they are participating in a felony crime that results in death. The crime, Yarbrough said, was distributing illicit drugs.

Cox, who has a history of drug arrests, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 12:02 a.m. Friday. He remains held on $75,000 bond.

I'm wondering if the 2nd black male (as originally reported, there were 2) was the dealer? Which could explain their emphasis on Hampton only being charged with abuse of a corpse and not related to her death. I wonder if LE has indication who the second is? Perhaps they already have him in custody and he's talking ( on Hampton)? Or they need Hampton to fill in the missing info so they can identify him. MOO

 

[Deleted member 110058]

Here's an example -- this just happened a few months ago in Hueytown, AL:

Man charged with murder after passenger’s heroin death

A Hueytown man has been charged with murder in the suspected heroin overdose death of another man earlier this week.

Police obtained warrants against Cecil William Cox, 57, in the Wednesday death of 27-year-old Robert Beane. Authorities say Cox not only provided the illicit drugs to the victim, but then failed to call 911 when Beane began to overdose.

[..]

Beane was found outside of a vehicle at Cox’s home in the 3900 block of Old Johns Road at 4:08 a.m. Wednesday, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. Beane was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports.

“He furnished narcotics to another individual who overdoses and died,’’ Yarbrough said. “And Mr. Cox did nothing to save him.”

Under Alabama’s felony murder law, a person can be charged with murder if they are participating in a felony crime that results in death. The crime, Yarbrough said, was distributing illicit drugs.

Cox, who has a history of drug arrests, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 12:02 a.m. Friday. He remains held on $75,000 bond.

Wondering how this is defined: "participating in a felony crime"
Must money be exchanged to be charged with "distributing illicit drugs?"
Hypothetical Scenario: What if a friend shared and the other person died...no money was exchanged. Are both the friend and the dealer implicated?
I'm going to research this. Could have implications regarding charges in the case.
Any thoughts?

 

[Seattle1]

You’re Not a Drug Dealer? Here’s Why the Police Might Disagree
People who thought they were just partying when someone else overdosed can find themselves charged with murder.

By Rosa Goldensohn
May 25, 2018

My friend accidentally overdosed and died. Is that my fault?
Legally speaking, it can be. If you supplied the drugs or helped obtain them, you could be considered a drug dealer, held responsible for the death and go to prison.

Let’s say you bring illegal drugs to a party, as this 21-year-old in Minnesota did, and something terrible happens, like 10 people falling ill and one — his best friend — dying. He was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to nearly 10 years.

Even if you’re mistaken about what exactly you’ve given someone, you can get in serious trouble, like this 17-year-old. He and two classmates faced murder charges when he sold a drug he thought was LSD to his closest friend, who overdosed. His defense lawyer argued that he was the captain of the football team, a straight-A student, and this was the “sole time” he had been involved with drugs, but the prosecutor said the evidence, including text messages, was “damning.” The three were allowed to plead guilty to distribution, a less serious charge, but still a felony.

Unlike child endangerment or “social host” laws that hold parents responsible for underage drinking or drug use, these cases can make you criminally liable for the actions of your peers or people older than you.

I shared drugs with my friends at a party. How does that make me a dealer?
State laws vary, but drug “distribution” or “delivery” is generally not limited to selling. It can include sharing drugs, giving them away, or having a friend pay you back for drugs you bought.

What if I didn’t give my friend the drugs or touch any money?
It depends on the circumstances. Our article takes a close look at Nick Klamer and Chase Thistle, two friends in rural, blue-collar Wisconsin. Nick asked his dad if he could borrow $200, claiming it was needed for an emergency car repair, but the two friends used the money to buy drugs. Nick, 26, died and Chase, now 29, was prosecuted.

Chase may not have touched the money, but he used Facebook Messenger to arrange the deal, making him a “party to a crime,” which legally speaking is the same as actually committing the crime. He is serving three years for reckless homicide.

But I didn’t force my friend to take the drugs. In fact, I wasn’t even there.
Prosecutors often see overdoses from the point of view of the victims’ families, some of whom say that even if no one meant for anyone to die, without the drugs their loved ones would still be alive.

“Some family has lost an innocent life,” said Peter Kilmartin, the attorney general of Rhode Island, who proposed a mandatory life sentence in drug homicide cases. “That victim no longer has a voice.”

Providing or helping someone get a drug illegally puts you on shaky ground for everything that happens later. Legally, there is a difference between that and, say, a store selling alcohol to a 21-year-old who drank too much and died, because the sale itself was not unlawful.

So I think a friend may be overdosing. Should I call 911?
Of course you should call for help when someone is in distress. There are Good Samaritan laws in many states that protect you from charges like drug possession in those circumstances. But if you were involved in procuring the drugs, you would probably not be protected from being charged with manslaughter, reckless homicide or murder. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the only states that provide that kind of immunity are Vermont and Delaware.

In several cases we looked at, the person who ended up being charged had tried to save the overdosing person by calling 911, administering C.P.R. or giving naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug. Critics say that prosecuting those people will make others afraid to call for help.

You’re Not a Drug Dealer? Here’s Why the Police Might Disagree

 

[Deleted member 110058]

You’re Not a Drug Dealer? Here’s Why the Police Might Disagree
People who thought they were just partying when someone else overdosed can find themselves charged with murder.

By Rosa Goldensohn
May 25, 2018

My friend accidentally overdosed and died. Is that my fault?
Legally speaking, it can be. If you supplied the drugs or helped obtain them, you could be considered a drug dealer, held responsible for the death and go to prison.

Let’s say you bring illegal drugs to a party, as this 21-year-old in Minnesota did, and something terrible happens, like 10 people falling ill and one — his best friend — dying. He was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to nearly 10 years.
Wow...and wow. Thank you @Seattle1
Even if you’re mistaken about what exactly you’ve given someone, you can get in serious trouble, like this 17-year-old. He and two classmates faced murder charges when he sold a drug he thought was LSD to his closest friend, who overdosed. His defense lawyer argued that he was the captain of the football team, a straight-A student, and this was the “sole time” he had been involved with drugs, but the prosecutor said the evidence, including text messages, was “damning.” The three were allowed to plead guilty to distribution, a less serious charge, but still a felony.

Unlike child endangerment or “social host” laws that hold parents responsible for underage drinking or drug use, these cases can make you criminally liable for the actions of your peers or people older than you.

I shared drugs with my friends at a party. How does that make me a dealer?
State laws vary, but drug “distribution” or “delivery” is generally not limited to selling. It can include sharing drugs, giving them away, or having a friend pay you back for drugs you bought.

What if I didn’t give my friend the drugs or touch any money?
It depends on the circumstances. Our article takes a close look at Nick Klamer and Chase Thistle, two friends in rural, blue-collar Wisconsin. Nick asked his dad if he could borrow $200, claiming it was needed for an emergency car repair, but the two friends used the money to buy drugs. Nick, 26, died and Chase, now 29, was prosecuted.

Chase may not have touched the money, but he used Facebook Messenger to arrange the deal, making him a “party to a crime,” which legally speaking is the same as actually committing the crime. He is serving three years for reckless homicide.

But I didn’t force my friend to take the drugs. In fact, I wasn’t even there.
Prosecutors often see overdoses from the point of view of the victims’ families, some of whom say that even if no one meant for anyone to die, without the drugs their loved ones would still be alive.

“Some family has lost an innocent life,” said Peter Kilmartin, the attorney general of Rhode Island, who proposed a mandatory life sentence in drug homicide cases. “That victim no longer has a voice.”

Providing or helping someone get a drug illegally puts you on shaky ground for everything that happens later. Legally, there is a difference between that and, say, a store selling alcohol to a 21-year-old who drank too much and died, because the sale itself was not unlawful.

So I think a friend may be overdosing. Should I call 911?
Of course you should call for help when someone is in distress. There are Good Samaritan laws in many states that protect you from charges like drug possession in those circumstances. But if you were involved in procuring the drugs, you would probably not be protected from being charged with manslaughter, reckless homicide or murder. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the only states that provide that kind of immunity are Vermont and Delaware.

In several cases we looked at, the person who ended up being charged had tried to save the overdosing person by calling 911, administering C.P.R. or giving naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug. Critics say that prosecuting those people will make others afraid to call for help.

You’re Not a Drug Dealer? Here’s Why the Police Might Disagree

Wow and wow. Thank you @Seattle1

 

[Seattle1]

They Shared Drugs. Someone Died. Does That Make Them Killers?

HIBBING, Minn. — In West Virginia, a woman woke after a day of drug use to find her girlfriend’s lips blue and her body limp.

In Florida, a man and his girlfriend bought what they thought was heroin. It turned out to be something more potent, fentanyl. She overdosed and died.

In Minnesota, a woman who shared a fentanyl patch with her fiancé woke after an overdose to find he had not survived.

None of these survivors intended to cause a death. In fact, each could easily have been the one who ended up dead. But all were charged with murder.

 

[Deleted member 110058]

They Shared Drugs. Someone Died. Does That Make Them Killers?

HIBBING, Minn. — In West Virginia, a woman woke after a day of drug use to find her girlfriend’s lips blue and her body limp.

In Florida, a man and his girlfriend bought what they thought was heroin. It turned out to be something more potent, fentanyl. She overdosed and died.

In Minnesota, a woman who shared a fentanyl patch with her fiancé woke after an overdose to find he had not survived.

None of these survivors intended to cause a death. In fact, each could easily have been the one who ended up dead. But all were charged with murder.

Not sure that it would be possible to attain this data....am wondering how affective these laws are in deterring drug use/dealing.
Is this actually fighting the drug crises or simply costing counties more money to prosecute and imprison.
I'm sure the answer depends on who you ask....

 

[Seattle1]

Prosecuting Drug Overdoses
These 20 states make it a crime to provide or help obtain drugs that cause a death. Other states use regular homicide statutes to prosecute such cases.

They Shared Drugs. Someone Died. Does That Make Them Killers?

 

[Deleted member 110058]

Not sure that it would be possible to attain this data....am wondering how affective these laws are in deterring drug use/dealing.
Is this actually fighting the drug crises or simply costing counties more money to prosecute and imprison.
I'm sure the answer depends on who you ask....

I found this article. It is debatable as to whether prosecuting dealers solves anything.
But , in reality...it's not just about money. It's about the victims, their families and states saying, enough is enough. IMO.
Should drug dealers be charged with murder? States ponder

 

[Momma2cam]

So I think a friend may be overdosing. Should I call 911?
Of course you should call for help when someone is in distress. There are Good Samaritan laws in many states that protect you from charges like drug possession in those circumstances. But if you were involved in procuring the drugs, you would probably not be protected from being charged with manslaughter, reckless homicide or murder. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the only states that provide that kind of immunity are Vermont and Delaware.

In several cases we looked at, the person who ended up being charged had tried to save the overdosing person by calling 911, administering C.P.R. or giving naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug. Critics say that prosecuting those people will make others afraid to call for help.

You’re Not a Drug Dealer? Here’s Why the Police Might Disagree

RSBM, BBM- So, even with a good Samaritan law, if someone provided ( even second hand) the drugs in any way, they could be liable for murder. Makes a felon digging a grave more understandable. All MOO

 

[Momma2cam]

They Shared Drugs. Someone Died. Does That Make Them Killers?

HIBBING, Minn. — In West Virginia, a woman woke after a day of drug use to find her girlfriend’s lips blue and her body limp.

In Florida, a man and his girlfriend bought what they thought was heroin. It turned out to be something more potent, fentanyl. She overdosed and died.

In Minnesota, a woman who shared a fentanyl patch with her fiancé woke after an overdose to find he had not survived.

None of these survivors intended to cause a death. In fact, each could easily have been the one who ended up dead. But all were charged with murder.

BBM- The two involving someone waking after using together to find someone died stood out to me the most. IF drugs were involved and/or IF anyone else known to Paighton were there, too, this seems like a likely scenario and presumably hours could have passed since her death by the time anyone woke up/ became aware.
All tragic to think of. I sincerely hope that whatever the cause of death, Paighton did not suffer. MOO

 

[TheExperience]

The website seems pretty emphatic in guaranteeing anonymity. I don't think the program would function for very long if it became known that the anonymity they guarantee is a lie--that's one of the major selling points of the entire program, being able to provide reluctant people who possess vital information the venue to give a tip without fear of retribution or being outed.

They are not outed to the public. But, I can guarantee their identity is known to LE and proper associates. They will not broadcast their names on nightline, "Jane Doe sent in this tip."

 

[TheExperience]

Perhaps FH was really into the Southern Rock Band Cover that was playing that night. Has there been any mention of what band they were covering? Is FH a huge fan of the Country Rock sensation, the band, 'Alabama?' Has anyone interviewed his family or friends which is usual in case. We will hear, "he was such a nice guy, always lit up every room he graced." (sic) no pun intended, honestly. Lol. Was he the only black man there rocking out to a tune such as, 'Sweet Home Alabama?' Is he more like Tupac or more like Jimi Hendrix? It seems odd he has vanished into thin air, imo.

 

[Momma2cam]

Perhaps FH was really into the Southern Rock Band Cover that was playing that night. Has there been any mention of what band they were covering? Is FH a huge fan of the Country Rock sensation, the band, 'Alabama?' Has anyone interviewed his family or friends which is usual in case. We will hear, "he was such a nice guy, always lit up every room he graced." (sic) no pun intended, honestly. Lol. Was he the only black man there rocking out to a tune such as, 'Sweet Home Alabama?' Is he more like Tupac or more like Jimi Hendrix? It seems odd he has vanished into thin air, imo.

Opportunistic predators, drug dealers, or just random locals may not necessarily care too much about what band is playing. Or, if they do, it may have a lot more to do with the type of victim or person they are trying to attract. MOO

ETA: I don't see his vanishing as odd. I suspect he has family in many locations that may give him a place to go.

 

[Zella]

They are not outed to the public. But, I can guarantee their identity is known to LE and proper associates. They will not broadcast their names on nightline, "Jane Doe sent in this tip."

Have you actually read how the system works? The identity of the caller/tipster is encrypted. The person accepting the tip is not LE and does not know their identity. The phone lines don't have caller ID. The entire system is set up to ensure the person is anonymous and is not directly in contact with LE. What you're suggesting is completely at odds with how the system is organized. How can they pass on information to LE that, by design, they do not have?