Pubdate: Fri, 16 Dec 2005
Source: Waukesha Freeman (WI)
Copyright: 2005 The Waukesha Freeman
Contact:  http://www.freemanol.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/770
Author: Brian Huber
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

WOMAN CHARGED IN FATAL OVERDOSE

N.B. Woman Died After Ingesting Methadone

WAUKESHA - An Oak Creek woman has been charged after she allegedly 
gave a New Berlin woman a fatal dose of methadone during a road trip 
to Chicago last January.

Mary Dundon, 24, of Oak Creek, was charged Thursday with one count of 
first-degree reckless homicide and was released on a $10,000 
signature bond. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison. advertisement

Dundon was charged after the Jan. 25, 2003, death of Angela 
Franceschetti, 24, who was found dead in her home after what her 
parents believed was a night out with her friends.

About 6 a.m. that day, Franceschetti came home and reported to her 
parents that she'd had a good time but was tired, a criminal complaint said.

But later in the day, she could not be roused and police reported she 
was not breathing when they arrived, the complaint said.

A toxicology report found lethal levels of LSD and methadone, a drug 
prescribed for recovering morphine and heroin addicts, in 
Franceschetti's system.

Going through her cell phone, Franceschetti's parents allegedly found 
a voice mail message from a woman named "Mary," where the caller 
apologized for giving Franceschetti "too many of those things," and 
said she hoped Franceschetti was OK, the complaint said.

A small white pill marked "methadose 10" was found in Franceschetti's 
pants, it added.

A witness contacted by police allegedly said she, Franceschetti and 
Dundon went to various nightclubs in Chicago the night before 
Franceschetti died.

The witness, who is not being named because no charges have been 
filed against her, allegedly reported that Dundon was a recovering 
heroin addict and had methadone pills prescribed to her.

On the night in question, Franceschetti dropped the witness and 
Dundon off at the witness's apartment, when Dundon allegedly told the 
witness, "I gave her too many pills," about four or five of them, the 
complaint said.

When first contacted by police, Dundon denied giving Franceschetti 
methadone, saying she gave her two pills of LSD only, the complaint alleged.

The witness indicated she heard Franceschetti ask Dundon for "some 
pills" in a Chicago nightclub, and then asked for more on the way 
back to Wisconsin because what she had "was not doing anything," the 
complaint alleged.

Dundon allegedly added that she had taken many of the pills in the 
past and she was fine, so she assumed Franceschetti would be fine, 
the complaint said.

District Attorney Paul Bucher said the case actually began with a 
delivery of LSD charge in Cook County, Ill., which was later 
dismissed as an inquest was launched in Waukesha County, with the 
participation of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in 
Illinois. Bucher credited officials there, as well as in the New 
Berlin Police Department, for their investigation of the case.

Bucher said the witness likely would not be charged.

"There is no evidence she participated or was an accomplice in the 
delivery of the methadone," he said.

Bucher added the methadone was the primary cause of Franceschetti's 
death, although the mixing of that with LSD "certainly was a factor."

First Assistant State Public Defender Sam Benedict, Dundon's 
attorney, said his client had been cooperative with investigators.

"This is a complex investigation and we are in the process of a 
thorough preparation of our defense of this case, including a careful 
analysis of the reports of other citizen witnesses," he said.