A 36-year-old Youngwood man was arrested Wednesday on charges of providing the heroin that killed his girlfriend almost a year ago.
Christopher P. Showalter was arraigned on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance in connection with the March 19, 2019, death of Stephanie Rae Johnson, 34, in Hempfield.
State Trooper Brandon Yeager said in court documents that Showalter admitted in an interview, and multiple text messages retrieved from Johnson’s cellphone indicated that Showalter provided Johnson with two heroin stamp bags marked “American League” prior to her death at her residence on Turnpike Road.
During an interview with Showalter the same day as Johnson’s death, Yeager reported Showalter took him to an apartment where he used to live in Greensburg and turned over two more unused heroin stamp bags, also marked “American League” that he still had from his prior day’s purchase.
“(Showalter) advised me that he wanted to take responsibility for his part in Stephanie Johnson’s death,” Yeager wrote in court documents filed with Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour.
Yeager said toxicology results showed that Johnson died “of acute toxicity of fentanyl and heroin.” Both empty stamp bags collected at Johnson’s residence contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, Yeager said in court documents.
Showalter could not be reached for comment and an attorney for him was not listed in court documents.
He was ordered held in the county prison after failing to post $100,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is March 13.
