METHADONE-RELATED DEATH PROBED IN LAKE COUNTY

Lake County Coroner Prescribed Drug As Medical Director of Waukegan
Clinic

The Lake County state's attorney's office is investigating a
methadone-related death after learning that the county's coroner, Dr.
Richard Keller, prescribed the drug to the victim at a Waukegan
clinic, where Keller is medical director.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is participating in the county
investigation, which includes a review of whether Keller and clinic
staff followed proper procedures in administering methadone, commonly
used to treat heroin addiction, DEA Special Agent Will Taylor said.

And a state agency has faulted the clinic for not reporting the death,
as required.

Steve Vaughn, 30, of Lindenhurst died Dec. 3, hours after he was
administered 70 milligrams of methadone at the Green Dragonfly clinic
during his second day of treatment, Keller said.

"We are looking at all of the facts and circumstances regarding Steve
Vaughn's situation ... and whether or not the rules and regulations
that deal with methadone clinics were followed," State's Atty. Michael
Waller said Wednesday.

Waller questioned why Keller as coroner investigated his own patient's
death, a potential conflict of interest because the coroner typically
determines if any foul play was involved with an unnatural death.

"The whole situation is just questionable," Waller said. "The coroner
is supposed to determine the cause of death, and in this case the
coroner issued methadone to a person who never had it before."

Keller, newly elected to his second term as coroner, began working for
the Waukegan clinic shortly after it opened in October 2008 to treat
patients for opiate addictions.

On Dec. 3, Vaughn's mother returned home from work to find her son
dead. Keller investigated the death and concluded it was caused by
mixing methadone and another drug, Xanax. Vaughn had not been
prescribed Xanax and was using someone else's medication, said Keller,
a licensed physician. He concluded that Vaughn did not overdose on
either drug, but likely went into respiratory arrest after mixing the
two, which is known to be a potentially lethal combination.

"He had mixed methadone and Xanax, which he had been warned against
taking [together]," Keller said.

Keller said he does not believe there was a conflict of interest in
having his office investigate the death.

"We handled it like any other case," Keller said. "It's like any other
doctor who signs a death certificate for his patient, which happens
all the time."

Vaughn's mother, Jill, said she was not aware that Keller was the same
doctor who prescribed her son's methadone. She said he was addicted to
Xanax, not heroin.

Jill Vaughn said Wednesday that she believes her son lied to clinic
staff so he could quickly enroll in their methadone treatment program,
having been turned down by other health clinics.

He was accompanied by his brother, who did not hear any staff members
warn about the dangers of mixing the two drugs, she said.

"He didn't tell them anything about Xanax; he just wanted to get on
methadone to get off Xanax," she said.

"When you are dealing with drug addicts, you are dealing with liars
and thieves," she said. "[Green Dragonfly] didn't even do a minimal
urine test to see if he had anything in his system."

Waller also questioned whether Keller tested Vaughn's blood first to
determine what drugs were in his system. Other clinics routinely do
blood tests before giving methadone, he said.

Keller said Vaughn underwent a routine physical exam before being
treated with 40 milligrams of methadone his first day and 70
milligrams the next.

Asked whether he tested Vaughn's blood to determine what drugs were in
his system, Keller said, "I don't know for sure, offhand."State
officials conducted a routine inspection of the clinic two weeks ago
and noted that the Green Dragonfly did not report Vaughn's death, as
required of all methadone-related deaths, said Richard Weisskopf,
state opiate treatment authority for the Department of Human Services'
Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Keller said he reported the man's death to state and federal agencies,
though possibly not in a timely manner.

First elected to the $100,000 coroner's post in 2004, Keller recently
announced he did not intend to seek re-election when his term ends in
2012.

He blamed politics, saying it interfered with other educational
programs he was involved in, such as suicide prevention and adolescent
substance abuse.

Keller said he thought the state's attorney's inquiry was politically
motivated.

"Certainly when you look at the facts in the case, there certainly was
no crime that occurred," he said. "Unfortunately, a young man died.
Unfortunately, these things happen."

Keller has never quite fit the image of an elected official in Lake
County, sporting an ear stud and a dragon tattoo on his left forearm.
He writes a blog, "Live from the Coroner's Office."Keller said he
agreed to serve as the clinic's medical director because he was
concerned that drug overdose was the No. 1 cause of "unnatural" deaths
in Lake County.

Keller has many supporters who praise his work in the
community.

"A lot of people happen to think he's doing a damn good job, and I
hate to see him abandon that post," said Pete Couvall, his former
campaign manager.