Pubdate: Tue, 03 Apr 2007
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2007 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.madison.com/tct/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Author: Mike Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

JUDGE SAYS NO TO DELAY IN HEROIN DEATH CASE

The trial for Robert Steed, accused of providing the heroin that 
killed Elise Schnitzler last spring, got under way Monday despite the 
adamant opposition of the defense, which insisted that a delay was needed.

Defense attorney Yolanda Lehner argued before jury selection began 
that she could not adequately represent Steed if the trial went ahead 
as scheduled this week, saying she has not had enough time to review 
all the evidence in the case. Steed also asked that the trial be delayed.

Assistant District Attorney Karie Cattanach said the request for the 
delay was a ploy by Steed to delay the trial. And Attorney David 
Knoll, who represents one of the key witnesses in the case, Kellie 
Prager, said his client feared a delay in the trial more than she did 
the prospect of testifying.

Dane County Circuit Judge Robert DeChambeau told Lehner that as far 
back as December all involved were aware that the trial was scheduled 
in the first week of April and that was plenty time to prepare.

After jurors were selected, Prager, 21, was among the first witnesses 
called. The close friend of Schnitzler testified that she called 
Steed and asked for a "favor for a favor," meaning she and Schnitzler 
were willing to exchange sex for heroin. They went with Steed, 37, to 
a Madison motel where both women injected heroin supplied by Steed 
and then had sex with him, Prager testified.

The next morning Schnitzler was unresponsive, and Prager wanted to 
call for an ambulance, but Steed would not let her, she said. Instead 
they took Schnitzler back to the South Hamilton Street apartment, 
just across the street from where this week's trial is being held.

At the apartment, Prager went in and got a syringe of Narcan, a drug 
which is used to counteract the effects of heroin, and injected 
Schnitzler, but it did not save her. Steed took off, warning Prager 
not to tell anyone of his involvement and erasing his phone number 
from her cell phone.

When authorities were called and arrived at the scene, Schnitzler was 
dead. Prager was also charged with delivery of heroin in the case, 
and she is scheduled to face a hearing Thursday in her case.

Prager knew Steed only by his street name of "Pooh," but police were 
eventually able to track him down. Rather than arrest him 
immediately, they set up a series of drug buys from him, and he was 
eventually charged with first-degree reckless homicide in 
Schnitzler's death, two counts of selling heroin after her death to 
other people, and one count of selling phony drugs.

One of the people police used to set up Steed was a man convicted in 
1993 of causing the death of a 25-year-old Iowa County woman in a 
similar drug transaction.

The trial is expected to last through the week.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman