Toxicology results led to homicide-related drug charge months after 27-year-old woman was found dead
BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A months-long overdose death investigation took a major turn Wednesday when a Brick Township man was charged after authorities said toxicology results linked cocaine he allegedly supplied to the death of a 27-year-old woman found unresponsive inside a residence earlier this year.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Roderick Seward, 31, of Brick Township, was charged June 17 with Strict Liability Drug Induced Death, Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession of Cocaine in connection with the woman’s death.
The investigation began on January 26 at approximately 9:10 a.m., when Brick Township police officers responded to a residence for a report of an unresponsive woman.
Responding officers discovered the victim deceased from what was believed to be a drug overdose.
According to prosecutors, an investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Seward had supplied cocaine to the victim.
Authorities said toxicology analysis later confirmed the presence of cocaine in the woman’s system. The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently determined that cocaine was the cause of death.
Based on those findings, Seward was charged with Strict Liability Drug Induced Death, Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession of Cocaine.
Prosecutors said Seward surrendered to Brick Township Police Headquarters on Wednesday. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Narcotics Strike Force, Brick Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office for their roles in the investigation.
The charges are accusations, and Seward is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Key Points
- A Brick Township man was charged with Strict Liability Drug Induced Death in the death of a 27-year-old woman.
- Investigators alleged the defendant supplied cocaine to the victim before her fatal overdose.
- Toxicology results determined cocaine was the cause of death, according to prosecutors.
