CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Prosecutors in Arapahoe County are gearing as much as strive one of many first fentanyl-related manslaughter circumstances in Colorado.
Carolina Romagnoli was charged with reckless manslaughter for the 2020 demise of Maddie Wright, 23.
“She was very stuffed with power,” stated Maddie’s mom, Julie Wright. “At all times social.”
Julie wasn’t positive the case would ever make it to the courts.
“Investigators simply obtained funding and allotments to have the ability to have a look at these deaths,” Julie stated. “So I do consider that they filed fees well timed and shortly.”
Prosecution in fentanyl circumstances is uncommon as a result of investigators usually do not know the place the medicine got here from, who distributed it and with what intent.
“What we expect she thought she was getting was an Oxy tablet to sleep, and that wasn’t it,” Julie stated. “It had full, pure fentanyl in it.”
Prosecutors allege Romagnoli not solely knew the tablet was laced with fentanyl, but additionally watched as Maddie took the tablet and didn’t render support.
“There’s so many alternative issues occurring proper now with this epidemic,” Julie stated. “Some have no idea what they’re delivering, and a few are delivering it intentionally — understanding that fentanyl is a weapon of demise and it’s not being investigated. And I do really feel that that is what occurred on this case.”
“It’s definitely an epidemic,” stated Kelley Gadden, pal of the Wright household. “There’s xylazine that’s on the market now, so the fentanyl is form of evolving into different medicine which are hurting and killing folks, additionally.”
Romagnoli appeared in court docket Monday for a listening to, however didn’t make any feedback in court docket or to the media. Her protection attorneys are searching for a full dismissal of fees, arguing prosecutors didn’t file fees throughout the three-year statute of limitations in Colorado.
“I miss her daily, each minute,” stated Julie. “It’s one thing I can by no means put to phrases, and I by no means need one other mom to undergo the identical.”
Julie has now began a basis in Maddie’s identify to deliver consciousness to the fentanyl disaster.
“And with (Maddie’s) messaging and the best way she unfold love, we’re doing the identical factor with the inspiration — schooling, hurt discount,” Gadden stated.
“Our objective is to tell as many individuals as we are able to as usually as we are able to,” Julie stated.
The decide postponed the listening to for dismissal till Monday, Nov. 20.
Fentanyl was attributed to 1,200 deaths in Colorado in 2021, greater than double the quantity from 2019.
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