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Jay Man Arrested For Manslaughter; Woman Died From Narcotics Overdose
June 17, 2011
A Jay man has been arrested for manslaughter in connection with the December 2010 overdose death of a local woman.
Michael Sanford was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on a charge of manslaughter.
The incident occurred on December 25, 2010, at Sanford’s home on Bullard Road in Jay, according to investigators.
That’s when the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded to Sanford’s home for a possible overdose. The victim, Patsy Jean Wright, 55, was pronounced deceased a short time later at Jay Hospital.
An autopsy was conducted and showed several needle marks present on the victim’s body. The autopsy determined that the cause of death included include acute morphine intoxication and was homicide.
During the days following the incident, investigators spoke with witnesses who were present during the incident at Sanford’s house. Witnesses stated that Wright went to Sanford’s residence to be injected with Morphine pills after they were broken down into a liquid form.
Wright allegedly allowed Sanford to inject her with morphine and she immediately went to sleep, witnesses told investigators. Sanford gave Wright numerous other injections of morphine, rendering Wright was incapable of consenting to further injections, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses said they told Sanford to stop and became concerned for Wright’s wellbeing. Witnesses stated that during the early morning hours after being injected, Wright would not wake up and was having difficulty breathing and finally quit breathing and 911 was called.
Witnesses stated that Sanford took all of the evidence — including syringes, spoons, pill bottles, and related paraphernalia — and burned it in a burn barrel in his back yard.
Sanford was also interviewed by investigators and admitted to injecting Wright with morphine. Sanford admitted to deputies that he injected Wright numerous times and stated that it might have been after Wright was “passed out” because he was also “high”.
Sanford is currently being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Comments
10 Responses to “Jay Man Arrested For Manslaughter; Woman Died From Narcotics Overdose”
He’s charged with manslaughter instead of murder, because he admitted to injecting her with the morphine (probably even after she had passed out). He didn’t intend for her to die, but he caused her death, even though she went there asking for it.
I agree that the people who had the nerve to tell the police that they stood there, laid there or whatever, and watched as he continued to shoot her up, and didn’t do anything, should also be locked up. Isn’t that like being an accessory to the crime? Their testimony isn’t required to convict anyone, because it seems everyone told on themselves. What kind of mess is that, a mom and son in the drug house! At the same time, no less!!!!
A prime example of what drugs can do to your brain. Just say “NO” people, just say “NO”!!!!! Fight the feeling!!!! Don’t even start, and you won’t have to quit!!!!
@ Jaywoman: yes I feel as though the people who stood by and watched as a guy shot up a person passed out with drugs should be charged as well. Did the bystanders even say anything to him telling him not to do it, or did they think it was COOL (funny) to watch this man shoot this passed out woman up with more dope? Lock um all up and dry um all out for a Long time!!! This is just Crazy!!!
This is messed up. The people there took no responsiblilty at all. I just don’t understand the situation. Maybe I am just not educated to that kind of drug use. Or maybe ignorant to it. Should we feel bad for the people standing around or should we think they are somewhat responsible for her death also? Anyone with me here?
I know these people and it is sad that one of the people who sat there and did nothing was her own son!! She went there to be injected . She knew he also got high. I don’t agree with any of the drugs they were doing but if Michael belongs behind bars so does everybody else who was there. I don’t think he intentionally meant for her to die. Honestly the man does not even have enough sense to know how much would kill her.If anything he should be in a mental institution not going to prison. All of the “witnesses” need to be locked up.
@DGH
I was thinking the exact same thing David. How many ppl just sat around
and did nothing knowing she was out and he just kept injecting. WOW!
I guess you have to be stupid to even THINK about doing what these people are
doing, and I guess everyone will get what they are after and what we
all know will happen….HEAD MESSED UP, LIFE MESSED UP AND
EVENTUALLY DEATH………
What a waste…………….
she went to his house for an injection of drugs…..and he’s guilty of manslaughter……this doesn’t even warrant a decent response
By all means don’t put any blame on the physician. I know a lady in her early thirties (no medical condition) that is shooting up prescribed morphine right now around the clock. She is living off a settlement because her mother died due to an overdose of morphine (she also had no documented illness to warrant this medication)
The most unfortunate thing about this story is that it will not serve as a warning to other drug addicts.
One of the dangers of doing drugs is that there aren’t all that many trustwiorthy people involved. Place your life in the hands of people using drugs whose very purpose is to mess up their brains and . . . .well, you can see what might happen. Note that the report not only has the accused injecting her multiple times after she passed out, but others just standing around watching and doing nothing until after she stopped breathing.
Do you really want to put your lives in the hands of such people?????????
David for caution and
accepting likely results
twas the needle and the spoon, what a waste.