YORK, Pa. — A 44-year-old York man accused of providing fentanyl-laced heroin to a man who later died of a overdose in 2016 and another who died of an overdose in 2018 was convicted last week of third-degree murder, drug delivery resulting in death, and related offenses, Newberry Township Police announced this week.
David Seecharran was convicted after an eight-day trial in York County Court, the police department said.
His alleged accomplice, David Taylor, 33, testified at trial and remains charged with two counts of third-degree murder and other offenses, police said.
Both men were arrested in 2020 after a joint investigation by Northeastern Regional and Newberry Township Police.
They were charged with providing fentanyl-laced heroin to Edward “Butch” Ahrens, who died of an overdose on Dec. 23, 2016, and to Jared Connelly, who suffered a fatal overdose on June 3, 2018.
Investigators with the Northeastern Regional Police Department used cell phone logs to determine that Ahrens texted a person listed in his phone contacts as “DT” to obtain drugs prior on that day that Ahrens overdosed.
“DT” was later determined to be Taylor, according to police.
After his fatal overdose on June 3, 2018, Connelly’s parents told Newberry Township Police their son and Taylor were friends, and indicated Taylor should be looked into as a person of interest, police said.
Newberry Township Police eventually learned Northeastern Regional Police were investigating Taylor for allegedly providing the drugs that caused Ahrens’ overdose.
Police from both departments interviewed Taylor on Jan. 9.
Taylor told police that when Ahrens contacted him in 2016 to obtain drugs, Taylor went to York to meet his drug dealer, whom he referred to as “Big Man,” and purchased four bags of heroin for $40.
He then met Ahrens and sold the drugs to him.
Taylor’s dealer was later identified as Seecharran.
Police say Taylor admitted that he and Connolly were friends, and that he had been with Connelly the night before he died.
Taylor, who told police he also uses heroin, said he and Connolly were “dope sick,” (suffering from withdrawal), and decided to pool their money to purchase more heroin.
Taylor then left Connelly’s home to meet “Big Man,” and purchased 10 bags of heroin for about 60 dollars. They then split the drugs in half, and both used some of the drugs while at Connelly’s home.
Taylor said he realized the batch of heroin he obtained was abnormally strong, and decided to leave Connelly’s house and return home. When he arrived at his house, Taylor told police, he intended to text Connelly to inform him he had gotten home safely, and to check on Connelly’s condition. But he nodded off before he could send the text, Taylor told police, and when he woke up the next day he discovered Connelly had died.
Two days later, Taylor told police, Taylor overdosed on some of the heroin he had left over from his last transaction with “Big Man” — the same batch that allegedly killed Connolly — and had to be revived by his sister, who used Narcan.
Police say Taylor provided a written statement to police detailing how he would obtain drugs for others and to support his habit. He identified Seecharran by name, saying he was the person Taylor would obtain the drugs from.
Taylor said he would help Seecharran cut the heroin with sugar to reduce its potency and package the drugs for sale; in return, he would get an amount of drugs as payment.
Seecharran was Taylor’s exclusive supplier for three or four years, Taylor told police.
