AL - Paighton Houston, 29, left bar with 2 men, Birmingham, 20 Dec 2019 *arrests* #6

[Ontario Mom]

I don't think my reason will help you to understand psychologically why I prefer it was a homicide. It may be easier on her family & friends. jmo

I'm curious as to what your reason would be, if you feel like sharing it.

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

To me he looks heavy set, not fat, but heavier than he should be.

Husky.

 

[thesaint]

It's kind of crazy to me that there are laws where someone can be charged with another person's death for providing them with (presumably clean) drugs. Now, when you're talking about substances that have been deliberately altered (like lacing with fentanyl) that's a different subject. But to charge a dealer with killing someone who chose to inject drugs is such a slippery slope and completely wild to me. Where does it stop? Do you charge the person who gave the deceased the drugs, and then also charge the person who sold the drugs to the provider....all the way down the line until you're bringing in folks from Columbia to charge for murder?

I tend to agree, especially with some of the edge cases where people simply facilitated the individual locating a hook up. I think there's a even a case where someone simply drove the unfortunate user to their dealer's to score. They never touched any of the money or drugs involved, simply provided a ride. Dunno how that one played out. But it's an example of prosecutorial overreach.

More common seems to be 2 or more users sharing drugs and then one of them dies and they charge the one(s) who did not.

It's contrary to the general move toward more progressive application of extant laws by prosecutors across the country. I think it stems from the desire of families to locate the blame for their loved ones passing anywhere but the loved one. On the prosecutors end it's probably done to show they are serious about addressing the opioid epidemic But as Kamala Harris found out, just because prosecutors have power doesn't mean they should exercise those powers to effect social change. Our justice system doesn't work very well to rehabilitate or save anyone.

 

[PezCandy]

Agree. I'm also wondering if the second dude is who called in the tip? Or perhaps someone who lives at the Brighton house and was there when they got there?

That’s what I was pondering too, if the second dude was the one who called the tip in or something because after hearing that she left with the two men, that was that, nothing about the second guy at all just FH. So maybe the second guy got cleared as he was just a witness to her overdose.

Yes it’s sad she is dead but that’s the risk you take when you use and everyone knows it, users and non users. How it was gone about (burying her rather than call 911 and then booking state) was messed up. It happens more than people think, someone overdoses, the other people/person panic, dispose of body. It’s screwed up but it does happen. There’s even tv shows about that type of stuff, and not to mention not every death is publicly thrown around. I’m not in any way trying to sound like I’m victim bashing cuz I am not, but she had health issues and a near death scare because of the drugs, which would make it even more risky to be doing drugs again in the first place.

 

[GeorgiaRai]

It's only important because some posters suggest PH couldn't have left with FH because he is not heavyset. But, I agree with you it is getting old & I'm done with it.

IMO, some people see it as "evidence" the co-worker was making up the whole story about PH leaving with guys, or being at the Tin Roof at all, as part of cover-up of her involvement in Paighton's death; i.e. she said heavyset, and this guy isn't, so more proof of her lies!

I don't know if was FH was one of the guys PH left with - there may actually be two other heavyset guys that played a part that evening, but not a criminal part - but I've felt all along that the co-worker(s) were being honest with LE. The definition of "heavyset" doesn't change that.

 

[Seajay]

Many didn’t want to believe it, but from the start the evidence clearly pointed towards PH suffering a relapse and OD. She willingly left a bar with two older males because they offered drugs, was driven to a crack house, overdosed, and then FH panicked and buried the corpse. It’s a damn shame, but also pretty predictable, IMO.

I can’t believe how many times I was told to stop talking about relapse, stop talking about Paighton overdosing, stop talking about Paighton doing drugs because there was no reason to think she did any of these things. Then all the times I was told that a dead horse was being beaten because I kept going back to it as cause for her to be found dead, buried in a strange home in a not too nice area of town. I was letting the situation dictate to me what my opinion was.

This does not surprise me at all, it’s as I expected. Paighton was a addict, the call of the drug is strong. She fought a good fight for a long time but lost this battle. IMO

 

[Seajay]

I guess it's hard to believe because based on all I've read about her, it seems rather out of her character to be alone, partying with complete strangers (assuming they were, that is). I know drug addicts tend to do things that shock even those closest to them, but PH was clean and seemed determined to stay that way. Something just seems to be missing.

Recovering drug addicts are one drug away from their next relapse. Nothing big has to have happened in her life for her to relapse. It could have been cuz her pen ran out of ink. It could have been cuz her shoe lace broke. Drug addicts don’t make sense so how and why one would use and what they would use and who they would use with makes even less sense. If being a drug addict made sense, no one would be a drug addict IMO

 

[Seajay]

We have read this over and over on this thread. Do we have any indication that CH grasped this?

Her mother? I guess at this point it doesn’t matter if she graded it. Her daughter is dead from a drug overdose. Even if she never grasps it, it will never change the outcome. IMO

 

[Seajay]

BBM Why would he chose to bury her at a family members home that would tie him to this?

Because people who have drug addled brains don’t think so good. IMO

 

[Seajay]

BBM Why would he chose to bury her at a family members home that would tie him to this?

Awareness space. What he felt comfortable with. IMO

 

[Seajay]

Re: Drug dealers selling drugs that result in death being charged with murder. It happened in my extended family. They bought what they thought was oxycodone. It was laced with fentanyl. 2 died, one lived to tell about it. The dealer was brought up on manslaughter, I believe it was. He is now doing time. FWIW.

 

[firebird]

Re: Drug dealers selling drugs that result in death being charged with murder. It happened in my extended family. They bought what they thought was oxycodone. It was laced with fentanyl. 2 died, one lived to tell about it. The dealer was brought up on manslaughter, I believe it was. He is now doing time. FWIW.

Simple solution. Don't buy drugs illegally. And if you do, don't take them. It's not like they're regulated. You never know what you get. jmo

 

[Seattle1]

Drug-induced homicide laws (in about 20 states) counterproductive and inhumane?

https://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/dpa_drug_induced_homicide_report_0.pdf

 

[Seattle1]

The NCGA Wants to Charge Drugs Dealers Whose Buyers Overdose and Die

May 8, 2019

“I don’t believe we should criminalize the addiction, and this bill does not do that,” bill sponsor Representative Dean Arp said during a recent committee debate. “… But for those people who peddle poison for profit and kill kids, the hand of justice cannot be soft. Justice demands more.”

Death-by-distribution laws date back more than three decades, to the passage of a federal law aimed at preventing drug-related deaths. North Carolina already has a law that allows prosecutors to charge someone with drug-induced homicide, but unlike the new proposal, the existing law requires proving someone acted with malice. bbm

Huh? I think removing the malice action is a mistake.

 

[Seajay]

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.

 

[Seajay]

More from the link:


As overdose deaths mount, prosecutors are increasingly treating them as homicide scenes and looking to hold someone criminally accountable. Using laws devised to go after drug dealers, they are charging friends, partners and siblings. The accused include young people who shared drugs at a party and a son who gave his mother heroin after her pain medication had been cut off. Many are fellow users, themselves struggling with addiction.

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

 

[Deleted member 110058]

We have read this over and over on this thread. Do we have any indication that CH grasped this?

Her mother? I guess at this point it doesn’t matter if she graded it. Her daughter is dead from a drug overdose. Even if she never grasps it, it will never change the outcome. IMO

Respectfully @Seajay, you are responding to an old post and holds no baring to the case, at this point. It's a bit out of context.

 

[killarney rose]

It's true that he is, but he is responding to a post while everyone else seems to be beating a dead horse over the weight of the guys last seen with PH It's over. She overdosed and now it's a waiting game to see how her supplier gets charged regarding the OD. I believe it's very hard for some here to let go and believe the PH simply OD, rather than some other convoluted scenario.

 

[Momof4RN]

Was hoping we would hear of a court appearance today for FH in Jefferson County but just checked and he’s not on the dockets at all this week yet. Checked vine link and looks like he’s still sitting in Ohio.

 

[bwt42]

Recovering drug addicts are one drug away from their next relapse. Nothing big has to have happened in her life for her to relapse. It could have been cuz her pen ran out of ink. It could have been cuz her shoe lace broke. Drug addicts don’t make sense so how and why one would use and what they would use and who they would use with makes even less sense. If being a drug addict made sense, no one would be a drug addict IMO

I am really unfamiliar with drug use & relapse. Not arguing with your statement at all but it sounds like there is no conscious way to prevent relapse?