Sports

DA: Where Garrett Reid Got Heroin Can't Be Determined

Northampton County District Attorney John M. Morganelli says case closed on Garrett Reid heroin overdose case.

The case on Garrett Reid's death is closed.

Northampton County District Attorney John M. Morganelli said in a press conference Monday afternoon that Lehigh University and his office have closed the investigation into the death of the oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid on Aug. 5.

Speaking of Garrett Reid, who died of an accidental heroin overdose in his dorm at Eagles training camp at Lehigh University, Morganelli said his office could not determine whether the heroin that killed Reid was obtained in Northampton County or the Lehigh Valley or whether he had brought it to training camp with him.

Find out what's happening in Palmer-Forkswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Morganelli said when Reid, 29, died, he was in possession of 64 needles, 47 syringes and 19 vials of an unknown liquid that was later determined to be steroids.

He said the vials were: Testosterone Propionate, Boldenone Undecylenate, Nandrolone Phenyl Propionate and Trembolone Acetate -- all controlled substances of anabolic steroids that Morganelli said are illegal in Pennsylvania.

Find out what's happening in Palmer-Forkswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Testosterone Propionate -- A steroid that needs to be injected every 2-3 days for maximum results. It can be prescribed for men who do not make enough testosterone on their own. It is used recreationally as a muscle-enhancing drug or performance steroid. It bulks up muscles.
  • Boldenone Undecylenate -- A steroid often used in the off-season as it is more likely to show up in drug testing because it stays in your system longer. This is commonly used by body builders to build up body, mass and muscle. This steroid lasts longer in the body and people inject it every 3-4 weeks.
  • Nandrolone Phenyl Propionate -- A steroid that used to be very expensive and hard to get but is now cheaper to obtain. It is long acting, takes a long time to kick in and clear out of the system. It is usually limited to a body building group.
  • Trembolone Acetate -- A strong anabolic steroid on the market. It builds up muscle mass and makes you stronger in a short amount of time. There are no estrogen side effects. This is usually combined with other steroids for better effects.

Morganelli said the possession of the steroids was unrelated to Reid's death.

The district attorney also said that an analysis of Reid's cell phone records showed individuals with whom Reid had contact hours prior to his death.

He said that they were mainly "incidental contact" between family and friends, including a female friend -- Reid met her in the Lehigh Valley two weeks before his death -- who tried to contact him via cell phone and text messages right before his death and after it.

He said the information was not helpful in trying to determine the source of either the anabolic steroids or the heroin.

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.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Palmer-Forks