A preliminary hearing for one of the three people charged with providing the drugs that allegedly killed a Bradford man in 2015 has been scheduled for Dec. 20.
Larry Wayne Shroyer, 46, of 22 Spruce Run Road, Derrick City, will face hearings that day at 9 a.m. before District Judge Dominic Cercone for the drug case, and for a case involving fleeing from police.
Shroyer, along with Rachel Reid and James Luper, have been charged in connection to the overdose death of George Duke Jr., who died at his East Main Street residence on Nov. 13, 2015.
Shroyer was charged with allegedly conspiring with Rachel Reid and James Luper to deliver a mix of butyrfentanyl and heroin, knowing it could cause serious injury or death.
The criminal complaints filed in the cases allege that Reid and Luper were selling the very strong mix — which Luper described as “fire” — from a residence on High Street. Shroyer was a daily customer, the criminal complaints alleged.
At 11:08 a.m. Nov. 13, 2015, Duke’s body was found in his bedroom at his East Main Street residence. On the nightstand were items including blue packaging material for heroin. The packaging tested as having DNA profiles for Duke and Shroyer on it, police alleged.
After Duke’s death, Shroyer allegedly told Reid the drugs that killed Duke hadn’t come from her; however, she knew she and Luper were the only ones selling heroin with blue packaging, the criminal complaints allege.
In Duke’s death, Shroyer is charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, first-degree felonies; delivery of heroin, a felony; two counts of distribution of a designer drug and one count of conspiracy to deliver a designer drug, all felonies; involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit involuntary manslaughter, first-degree misdemeanors; possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor; and recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor.
In addition to the charges relating to Duke’s death, Shroyer is also charged with flight to avoid apprehension, a third-degree felony. He had been contacted by police and advised of the charges pending against him in the other case, and told police he would immediately turn himself in. However, he did not, and stayed on the lam for several days, court records allege.
Shroyer remains in jail in lieu of $100,000 in each case. He is represented by attorney John Richard Thomas of Ridgway.
Reid is scheduled to appear in Central Court Dec. 7. She is represented by attorney Christopher Martini of Ridgway.
Luper is scheduled to appear in Central Court Dec. 14. He is represented by attorney Daniel Lang of Bradford.
All three attorneys were court appointed.
