SUSPECTS ARE ACCUSED OF FAILING TO GET HELP FOR 21-YEAR-OLD
VICTIM

A Howard County (http://www.co.ho.md.us) grand jury has indicted
three young men on murder charges in the drug overdose death of a
21-year-old Columbia man they are accused of failing to help and
leaving near a Dumpster in Southwest Baltimore.

Police said Morgan Manca-Wells Jr. of the 11700 block of Lone Tree
Court was found outside St. Agnes Hospital (http://www.agnes.org) in
March, dead of a heroin overdose.

Scott Shelton, 20, of the 5400 block of Wolf River Lane in Columbia;
Wesley Tyson Hamerly, 20, of the 6400 block of Grommet Drive in
Elkridge; and Brian Jefferson, 24, of the 11600 block of Sun Circle
Way in Columbia were indicted Thursday on charges of second-degree
murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, according
to the Howard state's attorney's office.

The crimes carry maximum penalties of 30 years, 10 years and five
years, respectively.

Arrest warrants have been issued for all three; the indictment will
remain sealed until they are arrested.

Authorities said a group of young people was partying the afternoon of
March 14 at different houses in Columbia, using drugs and drinking
alcohol. Four of the partyers ran out of drugs and drove to Baltimore
to buy more, a law enforcement official said.

On their drive back, some of the people, including Manca-Wells, used
more heroin, and Manca-Wells passed out, the official said.

The car drove near Howard County General Hospital, but Manca-Wells was
not taken there, the official said.

At Shelton's house on Wolf River Lane, some partyers put Manca-Wells
in a bathtub. One called his girlfriend and told her about his
condition, the official said, and she called for an ambulance.

When emergency help arrived, said Sgt. John Superson, a spokesman for
Howard County police, a man pretended to be Manca-Wells. Paramedics
examined the man and found nothing wrong.

The men later put Manca-Wells in a car and drove to St. Agnes Hospital
in Southwest Baltimore, where they disposed of his body near a trash
bin and called 911, Superson said. It is not clear whether Manca-Wells
was alive or dead when he was left.

When Baltimore City police responded to the scene, they assumed that
Manca-Wells was the victim of an overdose.

Howard County police later received an anonymous letter saying that
Manca-Wells could have been helped and that his death should be
investigated, Superson said.

Jefferson and Hamerly have faced criminal charges in the
past.

In March 1998, Jefferson pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and
malicious destruction of property, according to court records. Last
month, he was charged with trespassing at The Mall in Columbia and
possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. His trial date is
scheduled for March.

Hamerly pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in February 1998. He
pleaded guilty to theft in August and October this year. Last month,
he was charged with fourth-degree burglary and theft.

It was unclear yesterday how previous cases had been
resolved.

Howard County Police Chief Wayne Livesay has said that heroin is an
increasing problem among youth there.

A Glenelg High School graduate, Damien Massella, 17, died last year of
a heroin overdose. His body was found slumped against a tree near
Triadelphia Reservoir.

This year, because of a lack of funds, the county Health Department
abandoned a proposed drug detoxification program that would have
treated as many as 70 heroin addicts a week from a mobile unit near
the Kings Contrivance village center because of a lack of funds.

The county has no drug treatment programs for heroin
addicts.

Sun staff writers Kris Antonelli and Jamie Smith Hopkins contributed
to this article.