Men Charged in NH Teen's Overdose Death Plead Guilty

Girl's mother pleads not guilty to concealing knowledge and giving false information to police

Two of three people charged in the death of 17-year-old Evangelique "Eve" Tarmey pleaded guilty to giving her a deadly dose of Fentanyl. 

42-year-old Mark Ross, of Rochester, the boyfriend of Tarmey's mother, and friend Leslee Aberlee admitted they bought heroin from Lawrence, Massachusetts, and gave to the girl on October 16. 

Tarmey died in a Rochester motel, New Hampshire, of acute fentanyl intoxication in October. 

"It's hard to cope with. It really is. It's still difficult," said Tracy Marshall, whose son, David, had been dating Tarmey for two years. "She had a beautiful smile. She had a beautiful personality. She treated our family wonderfully. She was just a really sweet girl. It's hard to believe that something like this could happen to her." 

In agreement with prosecutors, Ross agreed to plead guilty to distributing a controlled substance to a person under 21 with death resulting. The agreement supports a 20-year prison sentence, avoiding the maximum punishment of life in prison. A judge would need to approve the deal. 

Aberle, initially pleaded not guilty to the same charges, but she changed her plea Monday.

Ross and Aberlee will be sentenced in October. 

Jazzmyn Rood, Tarmey's mother and Ross' girlfriend, is charged with concealing knowledge and giving false information to police. She has pleaded not guilty and faces trial in September.

The cases originated in state court before being transferred to federal court, where the potential penalties are more severe. 

A Rochester police detective testified in state court last year that Ross said that he, Aberle and Tarmey drove to Massachusetts to buy heroin. Tarmey had planned to meet up with her boyfriend there, but he didn't show up. 

The detective testified that Ross said the three returned to the Rochester motel, and he and Aberle injected themselves with heroin before he injected Rood. Ross told police Tarmey was upset about not seeing her boyfriend, and that Aberle gave Ross what he said he thought was heroin "to shut her up." He said Tarmey took the drug, he fell asleep, and he later awoke to find her dead.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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