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September 2, 2003Police probe drug deathNarcotic was allegedly injected into womanByRecord-Eagle staff writer MANISTEE - State police are investigating the death of a Stronach woman as a possible drug and alcohol overdose and allege that two local men provided her with illegal drugs during a party. Melissa Nichols, 30, was reported dead by people at her home on Stronach Road in Stronach Township at about 2:45 p.m. on Friday. Witnesses told state troopers that she had consumed a large amount of alcohol along with several Valium pills allegedly given to her by a 47-year-old Stronach man. They said she was also injected with an unidentified narcotic, allegedly by a 30-year-old Manistee Township man during a party that ran from Thursday evening on into Friday. Witnesses called state police after Nichols, who had fallen asleep on a mattress in her living room, would not respond Friday afternoon and didn't seem to have a pulse. Troopers who responded to the scene initially thought the case was a suicide, said Sgt. John Hansen of the Manistee post. However, after interviewing several witnesses and after the county prosecutor interviewed the Manistee man Saturday, troopers obtained a search warrant for his home where they confiscated several items including narcotics paraphernalia and pills. The suspect was arrested at that time on a parole violation stemming from his use of narcotics. "He admitted injecting himself and her with a narcotic substance and he was put in the Manistee County Jail on the parole violation," Hansen said. Hansen said in addition to the parole violation, the man could face a charge stemming from contributing to Nichols' death by giving her the injection as well as a charge of delivery of a controlled substance. His identity was being withheld pending arraignment on charges, which had not happened as of Monday. The unidentified 47-year-old Stronach man had not been arrested as of Monday but troopers are investigating his possible role in Nichols' death. "The case is being looked at as an overdose with the victim being given a controlled substance that could have been partially a cause of death," Hansen said. Troopers are awaiting toxicology test results from an autopsy conducted on Sunday.
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