Latrobe police used video surveillance evidence from more than 10 locations to track the movements of a city man shortly before he died from an accidental drug overdose, according to court papers.
They compared that information with messages retrieved from Jonathan S. Campbell’s Facebook account to file charges Friday against Joseph Bowser, 39, of Latrobe, who they believe supplied Campbell with the fatal dose of drugs.
Bowser turned himself in Friday and is prepared to defend against the allegations, said his attorney Gregory Stein. He posted $30,000 bail and is on home electronic monitoring.
Campbell, 29, was found dead April 5 in a Raymond Avenue apartment. Toxicology testing showed he had fentanyl, a powerful opioid, and xylazine, a veterinary sedative, in his system, according to court papers.
Authorities said they recovered messages sent between Campbell and Bowser April 4 that were indicative of a drug sale. In one of them, Bowser reportedly said “I dobt (sic) wanna be the reason u die,” according to court papers.
Police obtained surveillance video from the area that they said showed Campbell walking between his home and Bowser’s after the messages were exchanged. Drugs found near Campbell’s body contained fentanyl and xylazine, police said.
Bowser is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, drug possession and criminal use of a communication facility. A preliminary hearing is set for March 3.
The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2023 designated xylazine as an “emerging threat” when it is mixed with fentanyl, after its presence in accidental drug overdoses increased in recent years, the Associated Press reported. Xylazine was present in 44 of 95 fatal drug overdoses in Westmoreland in 2023, according to coroner statistics.
