WOMAN CHARGED IN HEROIN DEATH CASE

A drug charge was filed Monday against a friend of a 20- year-old
woman found dead last week of an apparent heroin overdose at a
Downtown apartment.

Kellie M.L. Prager, 20, who has been living with friends in Madison
but lists her address as South Bend, Ind., told Madison police that
she and Elise Schnitzler obtained heroin from a dealer in exchange
for sex the night before Schnitzler was found dead at 314 S. Hamilton
St., according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said in court Monday that
Prager is not only a defendant in the case but could be a material
witness in what might become a "Len Bias" homicide case against the
person who supplied the heroin that killed Schnitzler.

People who supply illegal drugs that cause the death of a user can be
charged with first-degree reckless homicide under the state's Len
Bias law. That charge carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison.

Although drugs are suspected of causing Schnitzler's death, the
county coroner's office is awaiting the results of tests that will
establish the cause of her death.

The source of the heroin was identified in the criminal complaint as
a man with the street name of "Pooh," from whom Prager told police
she had purchased heroin many times.

Prager was charged with delivery of heroin, possession of heroin and
misdemeanor bail jumping.

She was charged last year with disorderly conduct for allegedly
smashing out the window of her then-boyfriend's pickup. She was
initially in a deferred prosecution program on the charge but dropped
out of the program and is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday on
the misdemeanor conviction.

Court Commissioner Todd Meurer ordered Prager jailed on $6,000 bail.

According to the complaint:

Prager told police that she has known Schnitzler for about six years.
Prager had been staying at Schnitzler's apartment for about four days.

On Wednesday night, Prager said, she called Pooh, who picked up
Prager and Schnitzler and took them to the Red Roof Inn. There they
each injected heroin, then had sex with Pooh. Several hours later,
Pooh drove the two back to South Hamilton Street.

After Schnitzler's death, Detective Sidney Woods found a knotted
baggie in Schnitzler's apartment, which Prager said contained the
heroin that she got from Pooh.

Verveer said Prager has been working a small number of hours for the
International Alliance of Theatre Stage Employees at the Monona
Terrace Convention Center. He said Prager told police that she hoped
to leave Madison to stay with her father, a South Bend, Ind., truck
driver. Her mother lives in Round Lake Beach, Ill., Verveer said.

Attorney Gina Bosben, appearing with Prager, said that Prager has
lived in Madison off and on for eight years.