Man Arrested In Fentanyl Death In Milford
Staff Report
MILFORD — A Milford man was recently arrested after allegedly dealing drugs to a woman who overdosed and died.
Jay Lynn Krauter, 53, 207 S. West St., Milford, is charged with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a level 1 felony; possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a syringe, both level 6 felonies; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor.
On Oct. 28, 2021, the Milford Police chief responded to a death investigation at a residence. Upon arrival at the scene, the chief spoke to family members of Laini Roberts, 28, Milford. The family said they found Roberts deceased in a bedroom.
According to court documents, one of Roberts’ relatives said she had last seen Roberts alive around 10 p.m. Oct. 27, 2021. She was found deceased by her family about nine hours later. The relative found a plastic bag containing a white powder in the home and gave it to the chief. The relative also gave authorities consent to search Roberts’ phone.
During a follow-up interview, the relative said Roberts told her on Oct. 27, 2021, that a friend named Jay was stopping by. The chief then spoke with a man who received photos of a message string between Roberts and Krauter.
In the message string, Krauter told Roberts he would be there in five minutes and described the vehicle he was in.
The man who provided photos of the messages told the chief he went to Krauter’s home and noticed drug items in a room. He told Krauter about Roberts’ death and said it was an overdose. Krauter then allegedly said he did not mean for that to happen.
On Oct. 28, 2021, a Milford detective received a search warrant for Krauter’s home. In the residence, the detective found seven small plastic bags that were the same size and color as the one found in Roberts’ home. He also found a container containing two syringes, a pipe, and four small bags with residue. The residue from one of the bags tested positive for fentanyl. Various drug paraphernalia was also found.
An autopsy was conducted on Roberts the day of her death. A forensic pathologist ruled Roberts’ cause of death as intoxication by acetylfentanyl, fentanyl, and xylazine. A drug screen indicated these substances were present in Roberts’ body.
On Dec. 3, 2021, the detective interviewed Krauter about the incident. Krauter said that on Oct. 27, 2021, Roberts asked him to come over and bring heroin. He agreed to bring some drugs over for the two of them to use. Krauter told the detective Roberts had a small bag of heroin of her own and used a foil that Krauter had brought. When asked why Roberts contacted him for heroin if she already had some, Krauter said she didn’t have enough.
Krauter admitted that Roberts used the heroin he delivered to her and that he took money from Roberts for the drugs. He also admitted to delivering heroin to Roberts the night she died.
On June 3, 2022, a Milford Police officer conducted a field test of the small bag containing a white substance that was collected from Roberts’ home. The bag was of the same size and style as the bags collected during a search of Krauter’s home. The substance tested positive for fentanyl.
Krauter has prior convictions for visiting a common nuisance and operating while intoxicated with a BAC of .15 or more with a prior out of Kosciusko County. He also has prior convictions for methamphetamine and narcotic drug possession out of Elkhart County.
For this case, Krauter was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on June 7, 2022, with a $101,000 surety and cash bond.