Metro

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A single felony count of third degree murder and related charges against the alleged head of an Altoona drug ring were bound to the court of common pleas following an hourslong preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Rickey Sharief Joyner, 44, was one of seven local residents taken into custody in late June, about two months after the conclusion of a grand jury investigation in April. While Joyner’s initial charges were withdrawn on June 26, online court documents show they were refiled on June 30.

In addition to a charge of third degree murder in the overdose death of 26-year-old Marlana Koehle, Joyner is facing three felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and single felony counts of conspiracy possession with intent to deliver, corrupt organizations, conspiracy to violate racketeering laws, dealing in unlawful proceeds, knowledge that property are the proceeds of unlawful acts and criminal use of a communication facility.

He remains incarcerated at the Blair County Prison and is ineligible for bail due to the nature of his alleged offenses.

Altoona Narcotics Officer Stephen Fox testified during the proceedings that he attended the autopsy of Koehle, who died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl and cocaine, according to the autopsy report.

Fox said officers located Koehle’s phone at the scene and found Snapchat conversations between Koehle and another individual showing two blue pills described as oxycodone, but were later determined to have contained fentanyl.

The concentration of fentanyl in Koehle’s body was about 12mg/ml, which Fox said was “sufficient” in causing her death. Fox cited the forensic pathologist report stating fentanyl is about 100 times more potent that morphine, 50 times more potent than heroin and 60 times more potent than oxycodone.

Fox said overdoses were “not surprising” when people take “dirty 30s,” which are blue, counterfeit 30-milligram tablets imprinted with “M30” to mimic a prescription oxycodone pill and are often laced with fentanyl. Half of the pill was found in Koehle’s kitchen along with a credit card that had blue residue.

While nothing connected Joyner directly to the blue pills found in Koehle’s kitchen, Fox said Joyner’s phone number was saved in her phone. Joyner mentioned the pills to authorities in an interview prior to charges being filed against him.

Caitlyn Pingatore, 32, who is also facing charges in relation to Koehle’s death, testified on behalf of the prosecution in the hopes of receiving leniency in her own case.

Pingatore admitted to being the person with the “dirty 30s” depicted in the Snapchat picture found on Koehle’s phone. She said Joyner asked her to sell pain pills so she told customers they were “oxys” because she “believed that’s what they were.”

Through questioning by Chief Deputy Attorney General Michael Madeira, Pingatore said she sold Koehle the pills that led to her overdose and was with her when Koehle snorted them, then left about an hour later. About 12 hours later, Pingatore said she learned of Koehle’s death.

When asked by Joyner’s attorney Joseph Lee Addink if she sold any of the pills before or after Koehle’s death, Pingatore said she had “roughly two or three” prior sales but “no one said anything.”

Addink then asked Pingatore about Koehle’s condition before she left the night of her death, to which Pingatore said “she was fine.”

“We just sat and had some conversations,” Pingatore said. “I didn’t notice any signs that something might be a problem.”

Pingatore said she stopped selling the pills shortly after because “it was just a hassle every time to make the deal work out” but continued to sell cocaine. When the police approached her the first time, Pingatore said she didn’t tell Joyner, but she “believed he heard through the grapevine.”

“He told me to not say anything about him, about selling, about anything,” Pingatore said.

Additional witnesses included Laura Rutherford Horne, 28, and Cecylia Antoinette Thompson, 32, who testified to Joyner’s key role in the drug ring’s operation in Altoona. Both women are also charged in the case and are cooperating with the prosecution in the hopes of receiving leniency.

During closing arguments, Addink told presiding Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones that he was “having a problem” with the third degree murder charge because he believed there were “elements missing,” such as Joyner directly causing Koehle’s death and lack of malice. He said the closest link between Koehle and Joyner was Pingatore’s testimony that she got the blue pills from Joyner.

Pingatore also testified there were no issues with the pill sales before and after Koehle’s death, Addink said. He then asked for the charge to be dismissed, while submitting the rest to the court of common pleas.

Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks argued that “the delivery of any opiate would amount to malice” and a count of third degree murder “doesn’t need to be intentional” but have “malice of forethought.” Jones agreed with Weeks and bound all of Joyner’s charges to the court of common pleas.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458. Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow contributed to this report.