LINDA TUCKER - 15 yo (2010) - Enid OK

3 Arrested in Meth Overdose Death of 15-Year-Old

Posted: Sep 22, 2010 7:20 AM


Linda Tucker's mother and her boyfriend now face murder charges in her death ruled homicide.


Doris Rigsby is facing murder charges in her daughter's death after she was found dead at a family reunion.


Rigsby's boyfriend, Jeffrey Alan Phillips, faces murder charges in the 15-year-old's death as well.

ENID, Oklahoma -- U.S. Marshals arrested an Oklahoma mother for the murder of her 15-year-old daughter.According to the medical examiner's office, Linda Tucker was injected with almost 10 times the lethal limit of meth.The Cushing teen died in June following a family reunion in Stillwater at Lake Carl Blackwell.According to an autopsy report, Tucker had four needle puncture marks on the left side of her neck. The M.E. ruled her death as a homicide.Monday night, U.S. marshals arrested Tucker's mother, 33-year-old Doris Rigsby, and her boyfriend, 30-year-old Jeffrey Alan Phillips after the two were tracked down in Enid.Deputy U.S. Marshal John Thomas said Heather Gaddis was arrested on a murder warrant Tuesday afternoon at a Tulsa motel.All three now face murder charges.More Autopsy Report: Teen's Fatal Meth Overdose Ruled Homicide
http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=13192684

March 24, 2011
Alleged murder suspect waives preliminary hearing


Other two suspects continue preliminary trials this morning



By Anita Pere apere@stwnewspress.com The Stillwater News Press Thu Mar 24, 2011, 12:48 PM CDT
STILLWATER, Okla. — Doris Sharrane Rigsby, 34, of Waukomis, waived her right to a preliminary hearing this morning on a charge of neglect of a child resulting in death.

Rigsby is one of three facing charges related to the death of Linda Tucker, 15, who died in Stillwater June 26, 2010, after attending a family reunion at Lake Carl Blackwell. She died of a methamphetamine overdose, according to the state medical examiner’s office.

Jeffery Alan Phillips, 30, of Enid, and Heather Lynn Gaddis, 30, are charged with first-degree murder. Phillips and Gaddis continued their preliminary hearing this morning.

Rigsby was originally charged with first-degree murder, but the charge neglect of a child resulting in death was substituted, according to Rigsby’s attorney. Rigsby will have a trial arraignment May 6 in front of Payne County Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler. The three came to court for a preliminary hearing in December and again in January and February.

Linda Tucker’s brother and prosecutors’ key witness was expected to appear in court for the hearing last month, but when he didn’t appear, District Judge Phillip Corley issued a warrant for his arrest and called him “the most culpable” in the death.

At the last preliminary hearing session, Corley ruled a pathologist with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office must testify today about oddities in Linda Tucker’s autopsy report. Phillips’ attorney Corbin Brewster raised concerns about the report.

Check www.stwnewspress.com for updates.

Some charges dropped in meth case



Updated: Friday, March 25, 2011 02:03
A Payne County judge dismissed murder charges against one woman and sent two others to trial after hearing testimony on Thursday concerning a 15-year-old girl's death.
Linda Renee Tucker died on June 26 during a family reunion at Lake Carl Blackwell, property owned by Oklahoma State University. An autopsy report issued Aug. 3 cited acute methamphetamine intoxication as the cause of death and classified the case as a homicide.
Oklahoma state law allows people involved in committing a felony that results in a death to be charged with a felony count of first-degree murder.
Three were charged with first-degree murder in Tucker's death: Doris "Sharrane" Rigsby, Tucker's mother; Jeffery Phillips, Rigsby's boyfriend; and Heather Gaddis, who is accused of selling the meth.
The murder charges against Gaddis were dropped after her attorney argued that Gaddis was not present when Tucker was injecting the drugs, nor was Gaddis present when Tucker died.
District Judge Phillip Corley said there was no doubt that Gaddis sold the drugs to Linda's brother, Joseph "Logan" Tucker, but that selling the drugs was not directly related to Linda taking the drugs.
"I do not condone what you did," Corley said to Gaddis. "Your actions caused the death of someone. You should look at what you've done and change your ways."
Gaddis, who is pregnant, and her family were elated after Corley announced the charges would be dropped and she was free to leave.
"She won't have to have her baby in jail," said Diana Brooks, Gaddis' mother, as she choked back tears.
Earlier in the day, Rigsby waived her right to a preliminary hearing when her charges were changed to neglect of a child resulting in the child's death. She is scheduled to appear for trial before Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler on May 6.
Rigsby helped her daughter use meth for the first time six months before her death, according to the court affidavit.
Records and witness testimony also indicate it was 45 minutes between the time Logan told Rigsby that something was seriously wrong with Linda and when Rigsby and Phillips left to get help. They first cleaned out the SUV for fear of what police might find.
Phillips is accused of preparing the meth for Linda to inject.
He will face trial for first-degree murder despite his lawyer's, Corbin Brewster, arguments that there was no evidence Phillips brought drugs or drug paraphernalia to the lake. Brewster also said Linda had been injecting drugs throughout the day without help from Phillips.
"At best, (Linda's) behavior was reckless," Brewster said. "At worst, a suicide attempt."
The medical examiner, Choi Choy, testified Thursday that her classification of the death as a homicide was influenced by evidence from Stillwater police.
Choy said her findings could be changed if the court found circumstances to be more consistent with suicide or accidental overdose.
Logan testified in January that he had pinched Linda's neck to find the vein, but that she had pushed in the needle because his hands were too shaky.
Corley said his belief was that Logan was more "culpable" in his sister's death, but there was probable cause that Phillips' actions were directly involved in her death.
Phillips is set to appear for trial arraignment May 6.
http://www.ocolly.com/news/crime/some-charges-dropped-in-meth-case-1.2123430

Waukomis girl’s mother, seller of meth will not face murder charges

Posted: March 25, 2011 by Doc in Uncategorized
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STILLWATER — The mother of a Waukomis teen who died last year in Stillwater of a methamphetamine overdose no longer is facing a murder charge in her daughter’s death.

Payne County District Judge Phillip Corley reduced a charge Thursday against Doris Sharrane Rigsby, 34, of Waukomis, from first-degree murder to child neglect resulting in death.
Corley also dropped a murder charge against Heather Gaddis, 30, who was accused of selling the drugs the teenager took, during a preliminary hearing Thursday. Now, only one person originally charged last fall in the death of 15-year-old Linda Renee Tucker still faces a murder charge, Rigsby’s boyfriend, Jeffery Alan Phillips, 30, of Enid.
Gaddis’ friends and family cried and hugged when Corley dismissed her charge.
And not a moment too soon — Gaddis is eight months pregnant.
“I have to go get her some clothes. She has no clothes that fit her. She came in wearing a size one jeans,” her mother, Diana Brooks, said after court. Gaddis, Rigsby and Phillips were charged and booked into the Payne County Jail last September.
Gaddis, of Tulsa, ended up wearing clothes from the jail when she left. Her family went into the jail’s garage in a white car and came out with her in tow.
Linda Tucker died after using methamphetamine while at a family reunion at Lake Carl Blackwell in June 2010.
Gaddis may have sold meth to Linda Tucker’s brother, Joseph Tucker, but that sale did not directly kill Linda Tucker, Corley said during court.
State law allows prosecutors to press murder charges if someone dies unintentionally during the commission of another felony, such as possessing meth or distributing meth.
Corley dismissed Gaddis’ charge, then shared some stern words.
“Ms. Gaddis, I do not condone what you did. Your actions did lead indirectly to a death … you should take a long look at that and think about what you’ve done and change your ways real quick,” Corley said.
District Attorney Tom Lee said he will recommend the Washington County District Attorney’s Office press meth distribution charges against Gaddis. According to testimony, Joseph Tucker bought the meth while at his grandfather’s house in Washington County.
Corley refused to drop Phillips’ charge. According to testimony at earlier hearings, Phillips prepared drugs for Linda Tucker to inject. Phillips will appear before Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler May 6.
Before the hearing started Thursday morning, Rigsby waived her right to the hearing, and Corley amended her charge. Rigsby will appear before Kistler on her new charge May 6. Deputies took her back to the jail, and the hearing proceeded without her.
The first witness was Chai Choi, a pathologist with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office who performed an autopsy on Linda Tucker’s body.
Choi’s report states Linda Tucker’s cause of death was meth overdose and the manner of death was homicide. While answering attorneys’ questions, Choi said homicide is a medical term, but also said she made that determination based on information Stillwater police gave her last summer. Phillips’ attorney, Corbin Brewster, asked if court testimony stating Linda Tucker injected herself would change Choi’s opinion of the manner of death. Choi said yes, but she can’t change an autopsy report without a court order.
She also said she has no way of knowing which injection sites on Linda Tucker’s body took in the meth that killed her. Choi did not carefully inspect injection sites in the fold of Linda Tucker’s arm or on her leg because she believed paramedics were responsible for those.
Paramedic Jory Stanley testified later in the day and confirmed emergency workers tried to inject an IV into her arm, and when it wouldn’t work, they inserted it into her leg.
Joseph Tucker, Linda Tucker’s brother and the prosecutor’s main witness, also testified Thursday. While Gaddis’ attorney Jodie Gage cross-examined him, he admitted he had been using meth until he was arrested for failing to show up at last month’s hearing in the case. Joseph Tucker used meth the day before he testified at a January hearing, he said.
“What I said was the truth but my mind wasn’t right,” he said.
Joseph Tucker also said he was so high the night of his sister’s death, he was “stupid” and doesn’t remember everything that happened.
Rigsby’s sister, Nicole Hux, sat outside the courtroom during the hearing. Linda Tucker lived with Hux for a few months because she and Rigsby had a rocky relationship, Hux has said. Hux wasn’t upset Corley amended Rigsby’s sentence, saying she thinks Rigsby could spend time in prison on her new charge.
Rigsby and Phillips are being held in the Payne County Jail in lieu of $50,000 each.
Joseph Tucker was released. The Payne County District Attorney’s Office has given him immunity from charges in exchange for his testimony.
http://enidnews.com/localnews/x1527122056/Waukomis-girls-mother-seller-of-meth-will-not-face-murder-charges