(Watertown) A man charged in connection to an overdose death in Watertown made his initial appearance in court Thursday. Adam Rueckert is facing felony charges of First-Degree Reckless Homicide and Manufacture and Deliver Heroin.
Police were dispatched to investigate a report of a woman who was not breathing and had no pulse in June of 2022. According to the complaint, the victim showed signs of an opioid related death and a search of their bedroom resulted in authorities finding heroin and fentanyl.
Law enforcement also searched the victim’s phone and allegedly found that Rueckert was the last person to have contact with the victim. When questioned, Rueckert reportedly admitted that he and the victim had used heroin the day prior which he shared with her while walking on a trail in Johnson Creek.
The 42-year-old denied buying the drug and implicated another individual. An autopsy report from UW Health included an opinion that the cause of death was from a mixed drug toxicity involving heroin and fentanyl.
If convicted, Rueckert faces 52-and-a-half-years in prison. A signature bond was set at $5,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 27th.
