FENTANYL TIED TO SECOND LOCAL DEATH

A mixture of drugs including heroin and fentanyl is being blamed in
the death of a 48-year-old man found dead in June at the Kalamazoo
Gospel Mission, authorities said.

Robert Monk died from an overdose of multiple drugs, according to the
Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy report showed
fentanyl, cocaine and heroin in his system.

"The suspicion, the concern is, fentanyl was instrumental in his
death," said Dr. Richard Tooker, chief medical officer for the
Kalamazoo County Public Health Department.

Kevin Munn, director of shelter services at the Gospel Mission, said
a supervisor found Monk dead in a bathroom at about 6 a.m. June 10.
Officials at the medical examiner's office said the autopsy report
lists the time of death as 2 a.m.

Potent mixtures of the prescription pain reliever fentanyl, which is
a synthetic form of morphine, and heroin have been blamed for
hundreds of overdose deaths in the past year in places including
Detroit and Chicago.

Monk's death is the second in the Kalamazoo area linked to heroin and
fentanyl. Portage police said last month an autopsy report showed an
overdose of fentanyl killed 34-year-old Patrick Dirkin, who was found
dead in his Marlow Street home on June 22.