CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Testimony began Thursday at the Clarion County Courthouse in the case against a Pittsburgh man who is accused of providing a lethal dose of heroin to a Rimersburg man.

Todd Ellis Carter, Jr., 24, is charged with the following offenses:

– Drug Delivery Resulting in Death
– Delivery of Heroin
– Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin
– Criminal Use of a Communication Facility

The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police with the assistance of the Clarion County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The investigation revealed that Carter allegedly delivered the fatal dose of heroin to two confidential informants who then gave it to Joel Tanner Stark on January 14, 2016.

Eight stamp bags, some used, marked “‘Essence” were recovered from Stark’s residence near his body.

On January 15, 2016, troopers conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Carter in Allegheny County. Twenty stamp bags were purchased from Carter, and an additional amount of heroin was seized from Carter upon his arrest. The heroin was all stamped with the same “Essence” logo.

Thursday’s case began with two jurors being excused because of their familial relationships with law enforcement involved in the case and another was excused because she admitted to reading about the case after she had been selected to serve on the jury.

State Attorney General Prosecutor Maureen Sheehan Balchon and defense attorney Michael B. Bogush each gave their opening statements.

Balchon explained what the Commonwealth’s case would be and how State Police investigators quickly learned who the principal characters were in the case, including through analysis of Facebook posts and cell phone text messages.

Bogush’s initial statement centered on why the two men, Logan Scott and Tyler Wolfe, who ultimately delivered the fatal dose of heroin to Stark, had plenty of reasons to offer Carter up to police, so they could avoid prosecution.

The first of seven people who testified on Thursday was June Stark, the mother of Tanner Stark.

She explained that she and Tanner, as he was called by family and friends, had lived together in a home on Stony Lonesome Road in Monroe Township during the time of his death.

“Tanner had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident, and he had received counseling for depression and traveled to the pain clinic in Butler,” Stark explained. “He had to use a walker sometimes to get around.”

Stark said she last spoke to Tanner at about 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14, 2016, right before she went upstairs to bed.

“I said ‘I love you’ and he said ‘I love you, too, Mom,’” June Stark said.

Bria Watterson, who also testified, was Tanner’s stepdaughter, but she considered him her real father.

On the night of January 14 and into the early morning hours of January 15, Watterson was on the phone with Tanner Stark.

“He wasn’t doing too well, he kept dropping the phone, he could barely talk, and it got worse the longer we were on the phone,” Watterson said. “I was very concerned with him, but there wasn’t anything I could do.”

Watterson said she last spoke with Tanner Stark at about 2:30 or 3:00 a.m.

At 7:00 a.m., June Stark said she had gotten up, and when she went to check on Tanner, his walker was partially blocking the door.

“I always looked in on him in the morning,” June Stark said. “I pushed the door open and saw him laying on the floor. I called to him and then knelt beside him. When I turned him over, his face was gray, he was stiff, and his skin was cold.”

She then called 911.

The remainder of the testimony came from three officers with the State Police and both members of the Clarion County Coroner’s office.

Cpl. Robert Hageter explained how he and Tpr. Berggren, who was first on the scene, had secured Tanner Stark’s bedroom.

Tpr. William Craddock, a criminal investigator at the Clarion barracks at the time of Stark’s death, detailed his investigative efforts for the jurors and reviewed photos of the scene that he took.

Tpr. Craddock said he saw an uncapped syringe on the bedroom floor, a scale, a blue metal tin that had stamp bags of heroin in it, an overturned garbage can, a laptop computer that was open and on, as well as numerous prescription medication bottles on a shelf that included an antibiotic, antidepressant, antipsychotic, and pain medicine.

According to Tpr. Craddock, Tanner Stark’s computer revealed his Facebook account and who he had been talking with prior to leaving the Monroe Township residence with Logan Scott to go get the heroin that eventually took his life.

“One message from Scott to Stark at 3:57 p.m. said ‘I’m on my way.’ Tanner replied that he has $90.00 and wants nine stamp bags, which would also help pay for gas and cigarettes for Scott,” Craddock said.

Tpr. Craddock then called Clarion Borough Police Chief William H. Peck IV, also a member of the county’s drug task force, and they then located Scott later that morning at a Brookville residence.

“He became emotional when we told him Tanner was dead, but he agreed to assist in the investigation and accompanied us to the barracks in Clarion,” Tpr. Craddock said.

Craddock said Scott cooperated with police and ended up writing a three-page statement. Craddock said he never offered Scott any incentives for his cooperation.

Tpr. Craddock said he and Tpr. Warfield then made arrangements with Scott to make a controlled drug buy with Carter, which they did later that day.

The stamp bags were marked “Essence,” and police ended up arresting Carter.

Scott was taken to the Clarion County Jail on a probation detainer.

Tpr. Craddock said Carter admitted to selling heroin to Scott on January 15, but not on January 14. Carter also said he didn’t know Scott by name.

Tpr. Craddock also testified that Carter told him he got the heroin from a man from Swissvale who went by the moniker of “Rizz.” But, he wouldn’t provide any other information about the identity of the man.

Bogush’s efforts were to try to continue to poke holes in the prosecution case in terms of lab tests conducted on Stark’s blood.

“I don’t believe our lab tests for potency,” Tpr. Craddock said. “I requested they test for contaminants, such as fentanyl, rat poison, anything that might be used to cut the heroin.”

Tpr. Craddock said the only thing that came back positive in the test was heroin.

Bogush questioned Tpr. Craddock about the interviews that were done at the Clarion barracks.

“Our video surveillance works to the point that you can sit in another room and watch it, but we can’t record it. It quit working some time ago,” Tpr. Craddock said.

Bogush asked Tpr. Craddock to explain how he eliminated Scott as a suspect.

“I had texts from your client (Carter) saying ‘yes,’ I have the same stuff as the night before,” Tpr. Craddock said.

Bogush also questioned Craddock about why he didn’t submit the plastic bags for fingerprint or DNA analysis.

But, on cross-examination by Sheehan Balchon, Craddock said he has investigated 40 to 50 cases involving stamp bags, which are made out of wax paper, and prints had never been lifted from them.

Tpr. Craddock also said lab tests on the syringe didn’t reveal any substance.

Clarion County Coroner Terry Shaffer and Deputy Coroner Randall Stom both testified as to their work in the case.

Stom said from his exam of Stark’s body at the scene on Friday morning, he estimated that Stark had died within the last eight hours.

Shaffer said when he received the blood results from samples taken by Erie County’s forensic pathologist Dr. Eric Vey, they were positive for heroin and nothing else.

Shaffer ruled Stark’s death was due to heroin toxicity, and the manner was ruled accidental.

State Police Cpl. Tim Lencer, who had worked in the Clarion barracks at the time of the incident, testified to his efforts in securing the evidence and maintaining the chain of custody.

Testimony is scheduled to continue at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. More state police troopers, a chemist, as well as Logan Scott are set to testify.