TESTIMONY DESCRIBES DRUG DEATHS

Medical Examiner Says 3 Died From Overdoses

A medical examiner testified Monday that three of Dr. James Graves'
patients died of drug overdoses and a fourth died because of the mixture of
drugs she took.

Dr. Gary Cumberland, medical examiner for the First Judicial Circuit,
determined Jeffrey Daniels, 30, Howard Rice, 41, and William Morris, 48,
all had high levels of oxycodone in their systems. Oxycodone is the main
ingredient in the painkiller OxyContin.

The cause of death for Gwen Carpenter, 37, was "complications from
poly-pharmacy," or effects of the mixture of drugs she took, including
oxycodone and hydrocodone, which is found in Lortab.

The prosecution is seeking to prove Graves, 54, is responsible for the
deaths of the four patients. The Pace doctor also is accused of illegally
prescribing narcotics, mainly a combination of OxyContin, Lortab, Xanax and
Soma - dubbed the "Graves cocktail" - to dozens of other patients who
didn't need them.

Defense attorneys counter the patients were really addicts who lied to
Graves to get the drugs. They suggest that at least one death - Rice's -
could have been a suicide.

But Cumberland said the deaths had none of the characteristics of suicide,
such as a note, or numerous pills in the stomach. Also, people who intend
to kill themselves usually don't do so by injecting drugs. They swallow them.

Most of Graves' patients injected the drugs he presrcibed.

More details also emerged about evidence found in Rice's and Morris' homes.

Alexander Jablonski, an Escambia County Sheriff's Office crime scene
investigator, testified he found bottles of OxyContin pills prescribed by
Graves, syringes, appointment slips from Graves' office and pharmacy
receipts. Rice went to see Graves on April 10, 2000, and got his OxyContin
prescriptions filled the same day and the next day, April 11.

Rice died April 12, 2000.

Morris overdosed in Brenda Broxson's mobile home in Pace on June 28, 2000.
Broxson testified that the day before, Morris had been to Graves' office.
Broxson also was a patient of Graves and saw Morris there.

Near Morris' body, officers found a bottle of OxyContin prescribed by
Graves, a syringe and a spoon that had some white residue, testified Nicole
Heintzleman, who was a crime scene investigator with the Santa Rosa County
Sheriff's Office.

Addicts will commonly crush pills, mix them with water, heat the mixture in
a spoon, then inject it.

Another doctor who treated Rice testified she would not have prescribed the
same medications Graves did.

Dr. Barbara Wade, who is board certified in internal medicine and
infectious diseases, testified she treated Rice between July 1999 and
November 1999. Rice was HIV positive but was not terminal.

Rice was seeing both doctors at the same time, but neither knew that.

She once prescribed Rice methadone for pain, along with other medications
for his HIV. After Wade found out Rice had overdosed twice, she stopped
prescribing narcotics.

"I thought the repeated overdose history was too risky," Wade said.

When questioned about Graves' prescriptions, Wade called it a "tremendous
amount of drugs."

"I just think that's an unsafe combination of medications to give at one
time," she said.

Also Monday, a pharmacist who declined to answer the prosecution's
questions Friday testified without incident Monday.

Friday, Doug Montecino, owner of Montecino's Drugs, pleaded "the Fifth" a
few minutes into questioning, even though under Florida law, those called
to testify in criminals proceedings cannot have their testimony used
against them.

Montecino testified Monday after Circuit Judge Kenneth Bell again explained
the law to him, and his attorney, Vince Whibbs Jr., also advised him to
testify.

Graves Trial

Dr. James Graves, 54, of Pace is charged with manslaughter, racketeering
and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces 15
to 30 years in prison.

The trial is in the Santa Rosa County Courthouse in Milton before Circuit
Judge Kenneth Bell.