Greensburg man pleads guilty to girlfriend's drug overdose death

A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Monday to providing the drugs that killed his longtime girlfriend at her Hempfield home in 2019.

Stephanie Rae Johnson, 34, died March 19, 2019, after consuming fentanyl-laced heroin police said she got from her boyfriend, Christopher Patrick Showalter.

Showalter pleaded guilty to a felony count of drug delivery resulting in death and two related drug offenses in connection with Johnson’s death.

“He decided to take responsibility for what happened. He is as remorseful as he can possibly be,” said defense attorney Jeffrey Leonard.

Police say Showalter admitted to providing Johnson with two heroin stamp bags marked “American League” prior to her death at her residence on Turnpike Road.

According to court records Showalter took an investigator to his apartment shortly after Johnson’s death and turned over two unused heroin stamp bags he saved from the same batch he gave Johnson.

Leonard said Showalter and Johnson were in a relationship for more than a decade and had a child together. Both struggled with addiction issues, he said.

Prosecutors did not submit a sentencing request as part of Monday’s plea. Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said Showalter could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.

Showalter will remain free on a $50,000 bond until he is sentenced in about three months by Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio.