Jessica Canada Holmes’ drug dealer told police after her death that his product was a “matter of life and death,” Akron police detective Mike Schmidt told a jury on Monday.
Holmes, 21, died in March 2015 of an overdose on those very drugs, prosecutors allege. Her accused dealer, Kevin Ecker, 30, of Barberton, has been standing trial since last week on charges of involuntary manslaughter related to her death. He also faces charges of corrupting another with drugs and numerous drug charges stemming from a variety of drug-related items found during a search of his home.
In court on Monday, the Akron detective guided the jury through the entire investigation. The bulk of his testimony centered on deciphering text messages sent to and from Holmes’ phone. The person on the other end was Ecker, Schmidt testified.
The text messages depicted a friendship of sorts. In the midst of coded requests for prices and meet-ups to buy the drugs, Ecker once told Holmes he cared about her and wanted her to go easy on the drugs. Once, Holmes even asked Ecker to stop her from buying his product.
But Assistant Prosecutor Angela Poth-Wypasek said it was Ecker’s product that killed Holmes. She died March 22, 2015, of an overdose on fentanyl — a drug similar to heroin but much more potent.
Ecker’s attorney, Scott Rilley, argued it wasn’t his client’s fault that Holmes died. He maintains Holmes knew the risks associated with using drugs, so Ecker should be found not guilty of killing her.
Ecker is the first person in Summit County to be tried for involuntary manslaughter in a drug overdose death case. More than two dozen others have faced similar charges, but those cases resulted in plea deals. Ecker was offered 15 years in prison in exchange for an admission of guilt, but he refused.
The trial was expected to last until Monday but was delayed because the detective’s testimony lasted longer than anticipated. The trial will resume Tuesday or Wednesday with closing arguments.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.