Olympia woman accused of causing June fatal overdose released with conditions after arrest
A 39-year-old Olympia woman who’s accused of causing a fatal fentanyl overdose in June has been released from jail with conditions.
Jada Renee Lane attended her preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Thursday. Detectives with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office arrested her on Wednesday on suspicion of controlled substance homicide.
Judge John C. Skinder found probable cause for the alleged crime on Thursday but did not set bail, according to court records.
However, Skinder did set various release conditions, including that she submit to electronic monitoring, not possess or consume controlled substances without a prescription and have no contact with illegal drug users, dealers or manufacturers.
Skinder also barred her from contacting the family of the alleged victim, a 43-year-old Olympia woman who died on June 6. Court records show the Thurston County Coroner’s Office ruled her death an accident and listed the cause as fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity.
The Sheriff’s Office alleges Lane provided a narcotics mixture to the woman who died and her partner at a residence in the Nisqually Valley, according to a Thursday news release that announced Lane’s arrest. The partners reportedly fell asleep but only one of them woke up.
“The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force take the narcotic epidemic seriously and know the impacts on our community,” the release says. “We will vigorously investigate the sales, delivery and trafficking of narcotics within our jurisdiction.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s 50-100 times stronger than morphine and often mixed with numerous other drugs. Local officials have blamed it for a worsening trend of overdose deaths, The Olympian previously reported.
Lane’s criminal history dates back to 2006 and includes cases in Thurston County District Court, Olympia Municipal Court and Thurston County Superior Court, according to a pretrial report.
She has three pending cases in Olympia Municipal Court where she has been accused of criminal trespass, fourth-degree assault, indecent exposure and third-degree malicious mischief, per the report.
The report also shows she’s also facing a Thurston County Superior Court case in which she’s accused of theft of a motor vehicle.
Lane is due back in court for her arraignment hearing her latest case on Oct. 17.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the alleged homicide from the perspective of law enforcement.
Deputies responded to a residence on Winlock Court Southeast in Thurston County at 10:38 p.m. on June 6.
The decedent’s reported partner called 911 after waking up and finding her unresponsive, according to the statement.
Dispatch reportedly directed the partner to give CPR until first responders arrived. When deputies arrived, they continued CPR and provided the woman with naloxone, a drug that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses.
Medical personnel took over life-saving measures to no avail. The statement says a doctor at Providence St. Peter Hospital later called the time of death at 10:35 p.m. The decedent’s body reportedly showed no obvious signs of trauma.
The partner told law enforcement that the pair had smoked methamphetamine prior to falling asleep, which was unusual because methamphetamine is a stimulant.
He said they often smoked methamphetamine and did not consume opiates, which are depressants, according to the statement. He also alleged Lane provided methamphetamine to them and they smoked it out of a bong.
The partner voluntarily had his blood drawn and MultiCare Capital Medical Center so detectives could test it.
Lab results showed the bong and the partner’s blood contained both methamphetamine and fentanyl. Detectives reportedly did not find opiates anywhere else in the home.
The day of the incident, Lane reportedly told detectives that she only loaded the bong with a small amount of methamphetamine from a bag she had.
Lane also said she had previously used methamphetamine from that bag and “didn’t die,” according to the statement. She was released at the scene.
The statement says the decedent’s partner died on June 23 in a motor vehicle collision on Interstate 5. A coroner’s report indicated he died from multiple blunt force injuries and had tested positive for methamphetamine but not for fentanyl.
Detectives located Lane on Wednesday at the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on Plum Street in Olympia. The statement says she was arrested without incident.
RESOURCES
More information on preventing, recognizing and responding to overdoses can be found on the Washington State Department of Health website.
Naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses, is available over the counter at many pharmacies. A search engine for where to find naloxone can be found at stopoverdose.org.
Those in need of help for substance abuse or mental health concerns can call the Washington Recovery Help Line at 866-789-1511.
Anyone experiencing a crisis can call 988 to reach a national lifeline.
