Woman Who Sold Heroin That Led To Overdose Sentenced To 6 Years

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A woman who sold heroin that led to another woman's overdose was sentenced to more than six years in prison Monday, according to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office.

Kayla Jo Vranish, 23, pleaded guilty in June to selling drugs to 62-year-old Kathy Davis. At her plea hearing, she admitted to selling heroin on Nov. 29, 2014 and acknowledged it was the drugs she sold to Davis that killed her, the attorney's office said.

Davis' husband found her dead in their Hermantown home the day after the drug sale. An uncapped hypodermic needle and rubber tourniquet were found in her hand. A vial containing heroin and fentanyl were found in Davis' purse, according to the attorney's office. Toxicology results showed fatal levels of morphine and heroin in Davis's system.

In court Monday, a judge rejected a defense motion to place Vranish on probation. The court sentenced Vranish to 74 months.

"I am left with two questions: How many deaths will it take for people to either be afraid to ever even experiment with drugs, or to take immediate measures to seek treatment for their addiction?" said St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin.

"And how many deaths and destroyed lives will it take for drug dealers to finally discover that obviously deeply hidden moral fiber to quit selling such a deadly, destructive substance?"