Two Week Jury Trial Set For Waupun Women In Overdose Death

(Waupun) A two-week jury trial was added to the court calendar Tuesday for a Waupun woman charged in connection with an overdose death. Jackie Meyer is facing one felony count of First Degree Reckless Homicide as a Repeat Offender. The 39-year-old allegedly supplied the heroin and cocaine that led to the August 2016 death of Karen Sadowski of the Town of Fox Lake.

The suspect’s fiancé initially told police that he and Sadowski were the only adults in the house at the time of her death and that he had not seen Meyer for one week. He said Sadowski went to the bathroom, came out feeling ill, went to a bedroom to lie down and was found foaming from the mouth two hours later. She died at the hospital early the next morning.

The fiancé’s story later contradicted phone records and information provided by family who had been at the residence. Prosecutors say Meyer took Sadowski to her drug dealer in Madison. After the overdose, Meyer – who had a warrant out for her arrest – apparently fled to a friend’s house and asked her fiancé to cover for her lies.

There were no drugs or paraphernalia found at the scene, though a baggie found in a garbage can tested positive for heroin residue. The victim’s phone was found in her nearby suitcase the morning after the initial investigation. Authorities contend that the phone was not in the suitcase during a search the night Sadowski died.

Prosecutors also allege that text messages between Sadowski and Meyer had been deleted. The messages were later recovered after a search of phone records.

If convicted, the Homicide charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Because Meyer was convicted on felony heroin possession charges in Washington County seven years ago, she could have another six years tacked onto to her sentence for being a repeat offender. The two-week trial is set to begin on September 30.