NYC fashion designer tied to Lady Gaga died of fentanyl overdose; police now probe ties to deadly robbery crew

NEW YORK — A renowned fashion designer with ties to Lady Gaga killed by a fentanyl overdose last summer was actually a homicide victim, with her death possibly linked to a string of fatal druggings by roving robbery crews, police and law enforcement sources said Friday.

Kathryn Marie Gallagher, whose A-list clients included Lady Gaga and actress Laverne Cox, was found dead inside her Lower East Side apartment around 8:50 p.m. on July 24. 2022. Authorities now believe the 35-year-old was one of at least seven people killed in the deadly spree.

An autopsy revealed Gallagher died of “acute intoxication” from a mix of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol and other drugs, said the city Medical Examiner, ruling Gallagher was a victim of “drug-facilitated death” with no additional details made public.

Gallagher, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, was found dead on a bed inside her apartment on Eldridge St. apartment near Delancey St., officials said.

She was working on a Fall 2022 collection when she died, and was “an internationally-recognized fashion designer,” according to an obituary.

NYPD detectives are now trying to link her death to several other incidents that occurred last year where robbery crews allegedly drugged their victims and then robbed them.

At least seven people had been killed in the incidents, police said at a news conference in November. Two of the overdose victims — Julio Ramirez, 25, and John Umberger, 33 — were targeted after leaving gay nightspots in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, but not all of the victims have been from the LGBTQ community, cops said.

“This is based solely on monetary gain,” NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said in November.

The robberies were likely carried out by different crews, Essig said. Sometimes, the victims were offered cocaine and marijuana by strangers as they walk out of bars, police have said.

The victims are robbed of their cell phones, and in some cases, crooks have used cash apps to transfer money from the victims’ accounts.

Four suspects were arrested in the incidents by November, police said, though no arrests have been made in Gallagher’s death.

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