A preliminary hearing for a Madison Township woman whose son overdosed on her methadone prescription in December has been continued until early-next month.
Bobbie Jo Truckley, 36, was arraigned in front of District Magisterial Judge James Owen on felony involuntary manslaughter, misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person February 18.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Pennsylvania State Police troopers earlier this month, Truckley was prescribed methadone by the RHJ Medical Center in Parks Township and was the only person in the residence prescribed the drug. She reportedly admitted to police that she had not been taking all of her methadone and was keeping extra in a bottle for “bad days.”
A large number of pills were found scattered in an unsecured dresser drawer in an upstairs bedroom accessible to Truckley’s three children – including son Dustin who died December 18 of an overdose to the prescription.
A pair of empty plastic bottles for the prescription was also found in an unsecured dresser drawer in the same bedroom where Dustin – a fifth-grade student at Redbank Valley Intermediate School in Hawthorn - and a younger sibling slept.
Bobbi Jo was arraigned last week on $10,000 unsecured bond.
Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers said that Dustin was found deceased in his second-floor bedroom by his father. Myers pronounced Dustin dead on-scene.
Autopsy and toxicology tests both determined death due to acute drug toxicity.
Myers – who processed 29 fatal overdoses in 2015 – hoped this is his only case involving a young child.
The criminal complaint also noted that Dustin was diagnosed with Pica, an eating disorder which includes the persistent eating of substances and objects with no nutritional value.