Man charged with manslaughter in drug-related death
By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor
PAINTSVILLE — A Magoffin County man was indicted last week on a manslaughter charge by the Johnson County Grand Jury.
The indictment charges Christopher Howard, 38, of Salyersville, with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree persistent felony offender.
Howard wantonly caused the death of Terry Neil Porter by providing him with methamphetamine or other controlled substances, or a combination of controlled substances, on Aug. 11 in Johnson County, according to the indictment.
Porter, 29, was also from Salyersville and died at Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center in Paintsville, according to his obituary.
Howard was previously convicted of a felony in Magoffin County, the indictment says.
Howard was one of nine people named in indictments returned Wednesday, Oct. 20, by the Johnson County Grand Jury. Others named in true bills were:
• Austin Dillon, 27, of Paintsville, charged with second-degree assault and second-degree persistent felony offender for allegedly assaulting and causing serious physical injury to Bohdan Cybriwsky on June 30 and having previously been convicted of a felony.
• Joseph Paige, 59, of Thelma, charged in two separate indictments.
In the first indictment, he is charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon for allegedly having a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol on Aug. 4 after having previously been convicted of a felony in Elliott County.
In the second indictment, Paige is charged with first-degree trafficking in more than two grams of methamphetamine; possession/use of drug paraphernalia; second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, less than 10 dosage units (hydrocodone); third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, less than 20 dosage units (alprazolam); trafficking in a legend drug; and trafficking in less than eight ounces of marijuana for allegedly possessing 24.5 grams of methamphetamine, hydrocodone and alprazolam, along with $1,035 in cash, clear baggies and digital scales with the intent to traffic in or by trafficking in those drugs; possessing a glass pipe; possessing gabapentin and $1,035 in cash and clear baggies with the intent to traffic in or by trafficking in the legend drug; and possessing marijuana, $1,035 in cash, digital scales and plastic baggies with the intent to traffic in or by trafficking in the marijuana on Aug. 4.
• Thomas N. Adkins, 43, of Wittensville, charged with flagrant non-support for allegedly failing to pay $7,122 in court-ordered child support to Rebecca L. Sadler from June 1, 2014, through Aug. 31 of this year.
• April Harper, 37, of Blaine, charged with two counts of first-degree promoting contraband for allegedly introducing, obtaining or possessing a controlled substance in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on June 20 and July 16.
• Lindsay Osborne, 41, of River, and Alexander Jaynes, 46, of Hager Hill, charged withfirst-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine)/complicity and possession/use of drug paraphernalia/complicity for allegedly, acting alone or in complicity with each other, possessing methamphetamine, a set of digital scales and a pipe on Sept. 7.
Jaynes is additionally charged with having no/expired registration plates on the same date.
• Kenneth Whitaker, 54, of Paintsville, charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession/use of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing methamphetamine, cut glass with chemical residue, two pipes and altered straws on Aug. 28.
• Retina Meek, 41, of Williamsport, charged with third-degree assault (police officer), resisting arrest, second-degree disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree terroristic threatening for allegedly causing or attempting to cause physical injury to officer Jonathan Holbrook of the Paintsville Police Department and/or deputy Jeffrey Castle of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; attempting to prevent officers from the Paintsville Police Department from arresting her; engaging in violent or threatening behavior in a public place; damaging property owned by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; and threatening to commit a crime that would likely result in death or serious injury to Castle on Oct. 6.
(Editor’s note: An indictment is not an indication of guilt but a determination by a grand jury that criminal charges warrant further judicial review.)