JASON PANZINO - 14 yo (2010) - Staunton VA

The Medical Examiner's Office in Roanoke was unable to determine a
cause of death Monday for a 14-year-old Staunton boy who died Saturday
during an outing with several friends in the George Washington National
Forest."They could not find
anything that caused his death," said Lt. A.C. Powers, an investigator
with the Augusta County Sheriff's Office. "It's all going to rely on the
toxicology" testing.



Jason
Panzino, 14, was found lifeless Saturday morning by friends in the
forest near Stokesville, Powers said. Out of cell phone range, the group
of friends drove about 15 minutes with Panzino's body before they were
able to call 911 shortly before noon. CPR efforts failed to revive the
boy.Powers said
results from toxicology testing will take at least two months.No charges have been
filed in connection with Panzino's death.On Monday, Panzino's father, John Panzino Sr., said
his son was given methadone — a synthetic opiate — during a camping trip
to the forest. The father said his son took two pills, possibly more."Something went
terribly wrong and my son did not come back from his camping trip," he
said.John Panzino
Sr. is confident criminal charges will be brought against the person he
said is responsible for providing his son with drugs."He's an unsavory character," he said. "I want
justice for my baby."The
father said he was told by others on the camping trip that his son was
found unresponsive in a tent shortly before noon. But John Panzino Sr.
said the explanation doesn't make sense to him."You do not sleep until noon when you go camping," he
said.Five people
besides Jason Panzino were on the camping trip, and John Panzino Sr.
said he thinks his son's listless body might have been found earlier on
Saturday morning."It
seems like they panicked and did not know what to do," he said. "I
don't think they actually tried to save my son, to tell you the truth."According to his
father, Jason Panzino experimented with marijuana and possibly alcohol
in the past. He was spending the weekend with some of his older
brother's friends, and died on his 18-year-old brother's birthday."Jason was just trying
to fit in and it cost him his life," he said.At Shelburne Middle School in Staunton, where Jason
Panzino was an eighth-grader, Principal Rich Fletcher said 10 grief
counselors were brought in Monday."The mood, particularly in the eighth-grade hallways,
was pretty somber, pretty quiet," he said.Nearly 60 students sought counseling, Fletcher said,
and counselors will be made available throughout the week in the days
leading up to the funeral, scheduled for Saturday.

STAUNTON — Jason Scott Panzino, 14, of 104 Greenwood Road, passed
away, Saturday, April 17, 2010, in Augusta County.
Jason was born Feb. 24, 1996, in South Boston, a son of John Joseph
Panzino Sr. and Virginia Mae (Hipkins) Panzino.Jason was an eighth-grade student at Shelburne Middle
School. He was the Virginia State Bible Champion in 2003. He loved
music, skateboarding and just hanging out with his friends.Jason was a child full
of life. He had many friends and never met a stranger. His smile was
contagious and his laughter made those around him glad to be his friend."He will be forever
missed"In
addition to his father of Staunton and his mother of Callands, Jason is
survived by his father's fiancée, Tracey L. Allen; six brothers, John J.
Panzino Jr., Michael S. Brickhouse, Seth J. Panzino, Zachary T. Panzino
and Brendan J. Panzino, all of Staunton, and Joseph W. Daniel of
Callands; two sisters, Loren D. Brickhouse of Staunton and Destiny M.
Daniel of Callands; his paternal grandparents, Frank Panzino Jr. and
Carol Ledea, both of Keysville; maternal grandparents, Marvin Hipkins of
N.C. and Juanita Hipkins of Callands; close and special aunt, Dawn
Panzino of Keysville; his godfather, Scott Giorgetti; and a number of
cousins and many close friends also survive.A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m.
Thursday, April 22, 2010, in Thornrose Cemetery by Pastor Gary Cope.The family will
receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Coffman Funeral Home and
Crematory.Pallbearers
will be family and close friends attending the service.Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier
Drive is in charge of his arrangements.Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net.

Staunton man charged in connection with boy's camping death
14-year-old allegedly given drugs before dying
8:56 PM, Apr. 5, 2011

Written by
Brad Zinn
bzinn@newsleader.com

HARRISONBURG — A Staunton man is facing a federal drug charge in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy who died this past year from a drug overdose during a camping trip to Todd Lake.

Matthew J. Mahone, 21, is charged with distribution of methadone, according to court records. He is being held by federal authorities in Harrisonburg.

Mahone was one of seven people, including 14-year-old Jason Panzino, who met in Staunton on April 16, 2010, and headed to George Washington National Forest.

In a federal affidavit, Special Agent John Pittman of the FBI said witnesses stated Mahone brought 10 methadone pills on the camping trip after meeting with his supplier, traded some for beer, and also was seen crushing and snorting the synthetic opiate.

Panzino's lifeless body was discovered April 17. Toxicology tests revealed the Shelburne Middle School student had methadone in his system when he died, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office reported.

John Panzino Sr., the boy's father, said Tuesday he holds no malice toward Mahone. "He's just a stupid kid who made a dumb decision," he said.

While Panzino feels that Mahone should pull some time behind bars for reportedly giving his son methadone, he said he hopes authorities will eventually focus their attention on Mahone's suppliers.

"They're the ones that really need to pay the price," he said. "The feds have assured me this is only the first step."

Panzino said his son's cause of death was "methadone toxicity," and admitted he still struggles with the drug ramifications.

"Jason was smart," he said. "What possessed him to take as much as he took? He should have known."

Nearly a year after his son's death, Panzino said he now regrets giving him permission to attend the camping trip, which included the teen's older brother.

"I shouldn't have let my kid go," he said.

The young man's death upset many, and a candlelit vigil shortly after his death ended in clash with police and several arrests.

In January, Staunton police arrested Mahone on a charge of being an accessory to robbery.

In that case, Mahone is accused of accompanying an 18-year-old man to an apartment on College Circle on Jan. 25, where they were held up at gunpoint and robbed of a gaming console they were trying to sell.

Police said Mahone and the teen fled the scene, but that Mahone later returned to the apartment. A Staunton police report stated Mahone and 23-year-old William E. Taylor, charged with robbery, planned the holdup.

Mahone was released from Middle River Regional Jail in Verona and turned over to the United States Marshals Service on March 30.

2 10/06/2011 3:00PM Trial

http://wasdmz2.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/CaseDetail.do

Staunton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Selling Drug to Teen Who Overdosed

Posted: Nov 28, 2012 6:05 PM CDT
Updated: Dec 12, 2012 7:27 PM CDT

A Staunton man awaits his punishment for selling methadone to a 14-year-old boy who died of an overdose.

Twenty-three-year-old Matthew James Mahone is already imprisoned for his role in a Staunton robbery. Wednesday afternoon a federal judge added 15 years on the drug convictions.

Mahone had admitted selling the prescription painkiller to Jason Panzino during a camping trip in April 2010. Panzino, an eighth-grade student at Shelburne Middle School, died a few hours later.

http://www.nbc29.com/story/20211123/mahone