A drug dealer, who sold a college student a fatal dose of the party drug “Molly,” has learned his fate, and it left him crying. Were his tears really warranted, though? You decide.
Katherine Schlegel, a 20-year-old college student from New Cannan, Connecticut, met an untimely demise after making one bad decision while attending a music festival. Although Katherine was not a “regular user of drugs,” according to Daily Mail, she made the disastrous decision to partake in them during the Electric Zoo festival on Randall’s Island in New York City, and the consequences were deadly.
The young woman was sold MDMA, better known as the party drug “Molly,” by 26-year-old Lagaria Slaughter, a now-former specialist in the US Army who was stationed at Fort Drum in upstate New York at the time. Slaughter had traveled to the city the weekend of the festival with another soldier, who arranged to buy 57 molly tablets to use with Katherine Schlegel and her friend while at the gig.
Sadly, the drugs supplied by Slaughter proved fatal. Schlegel overdosed and died two days later in a New York City hospital. Following the college student’s tragic overdose, investigators searched Slaughter’s barracks and recovered 10 capsules of Molly, 55 doses of LSD, psychedelic mushrooms, a scale, and other drug-packaging paraphernalia, authorities said.
The drug dealer was arrested and discharged from the Army. He has since learned his fate while appearing in Manhattan federal court, where he broke down in tears, requiring him to pause to collect himself as he apologized for peddling the poison that caused 20-year-old Katherine Schlegel to overdose, the NY Post reported.
“I want the family and friends of the victim to know that the person I was back then is not who I am, but a selfish and inconsiderate child wrapped up in something I should not have been,” Slaughter said, adding that he’s been diagnosed with “bipolar depression” since the incident but has found work in a care home after being relieved of duty.
“I spent the rest of my military career trapped inside my depression as I tried to cope with the events that had taken place,” Slaughter continued. Now, he’ll spend some time trapped behind bars — but is it long enough? Lagaria Slaughter was sentenced to a mere 15 months in federal prison for supplying the fatal dose of the party drug that left Katherine Schlegel dead and her family forever grieving.
One year and three months, that’s all this drug dealer received for supplying an illegal, toxic substance that left a young woman dead. And, from the looks of what was found in his barracks, this wasn’t the first, nor would it have been the last time. So, his sentence is hardly anything to cry about. In fact, he should be happy that’s all he got.
Katherine’s family, who will remain both devastated and haunted by her premature death for the rest of their lives, are the ones who have reason to cry. “I will be forever haunted, thinking about her just trapped in her last moments. Was she scared? Was she conscious? Was she wondering where I was?” Elena Schlegel, Katherine’s mother, asked, sharing her grief at Slaughter’s sentencing hearing.
“Our daughter was the most beautiful, loving, young lady you could ever know. She loved going to concerts. She loved music. She was not a regular drug user,” the mourning mother added, expressing her loss. Indeed, this young woman had her whole life ahead of her with so much potential, and it was tragically cut short.
Hopefully, Katherine’s death can serve a purpose, however, reminding others that it only takes one time to be the last time when it comes to illegal drug use. One night of “fun” can turn into your last night ever. It’s simply not worth the risk. As cliche as it may sound, just say no to drugs.
As for drug dealers like Lagaria Slaughter, make no mistake, they know the risks when they are pushing their poison on others. It’s no secret that people overdose. The money, however, is more important to them than the dangers in which they are placing human lives. To me, that’s premeditated. After all, overdosing isn’t a “surprise.” It’s a well-known risk that the dealer takes with every transaction.
It’s only after they get caught that these dealers of death seemingly show remorse and regret. There are no tears or even second-guessing, however, when they are accepting money for drugs that they know could be fatal. Sadly, our so-called justice system has basically told them that they will get a slap on the wrist if their criminal actions cause a death.
