Navy veteran accused of injecting Alaska teens with drugs, one fatally
(CBS/AP) ANCHORAGE, Alaska. - Twenty six-year-old Navy veteran Sean Warner pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he injected two Alaska teens with drugs on separate occasions, giving one of them a fatal dose.
Warner, who had served as a medic in Afghanistan, was initially charged with injecting one girl, but court records show he also faces a new charge of injecting another teen with heroin the week of Dec. 14.
Authorities allege Warner injected heroin into 14-year-old Jena Dolstad, of Anchorage, who died from the dose almost a week later. He faces a manslaughter charge for her death. The second victim, identified as R.H., is a 17-year-old who Police Lt. Dave Parker said was injected multiple times by Warner.
Warner's uncle, Dog Tweedie, told the Associated Press that his nephew served as a Navy field medic in Afghanistan and now suffers from post-traumatic stress. He said he spoke with Warner through Warner's father. "He's terribly remorseful," Tweedie said. "He's in a very difficult spot."
Court papers filed before Dolstad's death said Warner and two men went to pick up the girl the evening of Dec. 22 and took her to Warner's home.
According to the papers, Warner was sharing a gram of heroin with the men and Dolstad said she was willing to try something "new" but didn't want to inject herself, so Warner then shot 25 to 30 units of heroin into the girl.
Two witnesses told authorities the men left the girl on the bed and found her the next morning face down in her own vomit.
Authorities contend Warner didn't call 911 right away because he feared police would find drugs, so he instead treated Dolstad himself, giving her a prescription drugs used to treat opiate addicts. He called 911 after the girl began convulsing.
Dolstad was found to have heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine in her system when she was brought to the hospital, charging documents said. Medics told police she sustained brain and heart damage.
Authorities said the heroin used is known on the street as "China White," and is considered more potent than common heroin.
NBC affiliate KTUU reported Jena Dolstad's stepfather, Brett Williams, said his family had some ups and downs, but Jena always came back home. Now he is planning her funeral.
"I know she got mixed in with some people I tried to warn her about," he said on the phone. "And it went from there."
Authorities believe Warner did not intend to harm the two girls. He entered his pleas Thursday and a trial was set for March 27. He is being held on $100,000 cash bail.