16-year-old overdoses and dies while partying with mom and grandma

A 16-year-old boy was discovered by Summit County, Ohio, sheriff’s deputies DOA (dead on arrival) at a motel, the victim of a suspected overdose (OD) of heroin. What shocked the deputies the most about this particular OD incident was that the teenager had been allegedly getting high on opiates with both his mother and grandmother who were also in the motel room.

According to Sheriff Steve Barry, the teen, identified as Andrew Frye, was left to die sitting in a chair at the Super 8 motel in Akron, Ohio, last week, while his mother and grandmother were allegedly stones on heroin as well.

“The three family members — three generations of the Frye family —  were allegedly injecting a deadly combination of heroin and fentanyl, when Andrew overdosed. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic painkiller that’s more powerful than morphine and other highly potent opiates,” said former Det. Sgt. Karl Firth who is following the case for Conservative Base.

“Usually physicians will only prescribe the drug in cases involving extreme pain since it’s even more powerful than the highly abused prescription drug known as Oxycontin,” Firth added.

Summit County Sheriff Barry described the scene preceding Andrew’s death:  “We have evidence of drug abuse by more than one person, more than one relative of the deceased. It appears his mother, her friend and his grandmother, and a friend of the grandmother, all had a hand in obtaining and disseminating heroin among themselves.”

The preliminary toxicology report indicated that the 16-year-old had ingested heroin and the pharmaceutical painkiller known as fentanyl in his system, according to the Sheriff’s report released on Thursday. “The teen had a history of drug abuse, the examiner’s report said,” Sheriff Barry added.

Sadly, the highly toxic combination of the heroin and fentanyl is believed to be responsible for the death of Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman who died from and overdose at the height of his acting career in 2014.

Investigators say they believe that the teenager Andrew, his mother Heather Frye and her mother Brenda Frye all used heroin together at the hotel. The sheriff’s homicide squad are also investigating  allegations that it was the grandmother who “scored the heroin” and brought it back to the Super 8.

Heather and her mother, Brenda, were both charged with involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. Meanwhile, examination of court records indicates the two women have a long history of drug-related charges.

“This case brings new meaning to the term ‘dysfunctional family,’ and it shows to what lengths those who suffer from addiction will go in their drug-induced stupor,” said former narcotics enforcement officer Nancy Pellegrino, who served 15 years in various drug task forces.

A friend of the dead boy’s mother as also was charged with drug possession and tampering with a crime scene. A man, who was not identified in the report allegedly lived with the grandmother and he may be charged with heroin possession.

Sheriff Barry told members of the local news media that the teenager had died well before police and paramedics arrived at the Super 8 motel. After he died, those who were with him frantically attempted to hide IV needles used to shoot the heroin/fentanyl and the  unused drugs.

The sheriff said he believes the four people charged played a role in obtaining the drugs and IV needles and providing the heroin/fentanyl mixture to Frye just before his death.