FRIENDSHIP — Four people are facing criminal charges in connection with the death of a 33-year-old man whose body was found Sept. 18 under a woodpile.
Police now say Isaac Salinas, who was reported missing Sept. 11, overdosed on heroin and died in a home near where he was found. Four people are accused of helping hide Salinas’ body.
Formal charges were filed last week against Debra Phillips, 55, of Friendship; Michael Mathewson, 46, of Adams; Jacquet Jenkins, 51, of Oxford; and Susan Hall, 46, also of Oxford.
According to court documents, Phillips bought the heroin from Jenkins, who passed it on to Mathewson, Hall and Salinas. Salinas became unresponsive and died. Mathewson did not want to call 911 because he was on probation at the time, police said.
Phillips and Mathewson removed Salinas’ body from Hall’s bedroom and intended to put Salinas in a nearby lake but he was too heavy. Instead, the two hid the body near a shed and covered it with plywood before going back into the house and using more heroin.
One of the suspects, Phillips, allegedly smashed Salinas’ phone and discarded some of his belongings.
Phillips and Jenkins face the most serious charges, that of first degree reckless homicide by delivery of drugs. All are accused of a range of felonies, from hiding a corpse to obstruction and other drug charges.
All four are due in court for an initial appearance on the charges on Nov. 7.
