The oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid died of an accidental heroin overdose but "the investigation isn't completely over," the Northampton County district attorney announced Thursday.
District Attorney John M. Morganelli said investigators want to talk to the last two people who saw Garrett Reid, 29, alive and also find out who may have supplied him with illegal drugs.
"I am confident that Reid's death was the result of a self-injected lethal dose of heroin," Morganelli said.
Reid died on Aug. 5. At that time, Morganelli said, Reid was in possession of "a substantial amount of syringes and needles." A used syringe and spoon were also found, he said.
The drug paraphernalia discovered in a Reebok gym bag in Reid's apartment room at Lehigh University, where the team held training camp, included:
- 64 needles
- 47 syringes
- 19 vials of an unknown liquid
"Many of the needles and syringes were unopened," Morganelli read from a statement. "The origin of these items is not known. The investigation from this point forward will be focused on trying to determine the identity of any individuals who may have facilitated Mr. Reid by delivering illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia to him either in Northampton County or Philadelphia."
Reid was found in his bed at the Sayre Park dorms after Lehigh University Police responded to a 911 call at 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 5.
"Responding officers' observations initially at the scene did not suggest evidence of foul play but did suggest the use of illegal drugs," Morganelli said.
He said Reid was found lying on his back on the bedroom floor and his body was covered with a tan blanket. A chair was near his lower legs.
"It appeared that Reid had been seated in the chair and the chair had fallen backwards," Morganelli said.
Attempts to revive Garrett Reid were unsuccessful.
Morganelli said that toxicology tests came back within the past 10 days and that they determined that Reid died from an accidental heroin overdose.
Reid had a struggle of almost 10 years with drug addiction and drug dealing. He was helping at camp with players' stength training and conditioning.
Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said that toxicology reports suggested "chronic use" of drugs.
Lysek said he notified the Reid family about the findings sometime before Thursday.
The coroner would not speculate about how long Reid may have been using drugs.
Morganelli said that a number of individuals were interviewed by Lehigh University Police to determine the last person who may have seen Reid before his death.
He said the interviews determined that two people had seen and spoken with Reid around 11:15 p.m. Saturday and in the early morning hours Sunday.
They said Reid appeared fine and that there was nothing unusual about his demeanor.
Reid's cell phone was confiscated, but a data analysis has not been completed as of this time, Morganelli said.
Morganelli said he has contacted Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, who has offered his help. He also said that law enforcement "has had full and complete cooperation of the Philadelphia Eagles organization."
During a question-and-answer period, Morganelli said that investigators want to talk again to the last two people who saw Reid alive, but he didn't name them.
"The investigation is going to go back to the Eagles organization," he said.
Philly.com wrote an extensive report on the Reid family's upheavals in 2010.
Here is a timeline of Garrett Reid's troubled life leading up to the tragedy at Eagle's Training Camp in Bethlehem:
2003: Garrett Reid enters drug rehab at age 20. Reid said he didn't use drugs until he graduated from high school but then started with marijuana and alcohol at age 18. That was followed by prescription pain killers Percocet and OxyContin and then cocaine and heroin, according to an ESPN news report.
January 2007: Garrett Reid ran a red light in Plymouth Township and crashed into a car. Syringes with heroin and testosterone were found in his SUV. He tested positive for heroin use.
(That same day in a separate incident, Garrett’s brother Britt pointed a handgun at another driver following a dispute. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges including carrying a firearm without a license, a felony.)
Coach Andy Reid took a 39-day leave of absence from the team and accompanied his sons to drug rehab.
November 2007: Judge calls the Reids a “family in crisis,” citing searches of Reid home that revealed both illegal and prescription drugs throughout the house. Garrett was called a drug addict and dealer who said he got a thrill out of selling drugs in "the 'hood." He was sentenced to 23 months in jail.
Reid smuggled 89 pills into the Montgomery County Correctional Facility by hiding them in his rectum.
May 2009: Garrett Reid returned to prison after getting into a fight at a halfway house where he was staying. Reid was incarcerated at Graterford Prison after beating up a fellow resident of the house where he lived as part of court-ordered drug treatment.
June 2010: Garrett Reid was no longer required to check into a halfway house because he’d been living clean, according to a Philly.com report.
August 2012: An officer received a 911 call at 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 5 reporting an unresponsive man at the Sayre Park dormitories at Lehigh University. Attempts to revive Garrett Reid, 29, were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead.
And still the labeling from you continues. Claptrap, liberal, dirty hippies. I hope that you have an easier time understanding people when you meet them in person because you're doing a crummy job of it on the Internet. People are more than just a collection of viewpoints that you attach to them instead of taking the time to understand who they are. And Richard, no I don't know whether the Reids would shed a tear for me. And it's not like I'm shedding a tear for them. The discussion was not about whether it's okay to have an emotional connection to people you don't know, but whether it's necessary to demean them after their death. My point isn't that you don't have a right to your opinion and especially not that you have to agree with mine. My point is that when people start typing things about strangers on Internet articles they tend to abandon any sense of manners or morality because it's easier to rage blindly into the void. I don't want that on my website.
Like I said, we've got more coverage coming up on this in the next week or so on Collingswood Patch. Stay tuned...
Classy !
this guy says "treatment is a reasonable alternative" commence eye rolling!
Having more then one drink of alcohol is not accidental.
Going to prison isn't always a bottom for many. If you don't hit a bottom, stopping won't happen.
it's not ACCIDENTAL ! Why IT'S ! STUPIDITY!!!! for doing it in the first place. I think I'll have a beer overdose maybe drink 12oz instead of 10oz's