Three Carnegie residents who died of drug overdoses within a 30-hour period nine weeks ago were playing "pharmacological Russian roulette," Allegheny County Coroner Cyril H. Wecht said Tuesday. "People … don't seem to believe that these drugs can have very dire consequences," Wecht said at a news conference to announce results of toxicology tests related to the deaths. "You never know what the purity is. Remember, these are not FDA approved and you don't know how the body will react." Wecht also warned of a growing drug problem in the community and the dire consequences. Dale Kapezynski, 32, of Shadow Drive, was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m. Oct. 31 and Ryan Woodley, 21, of Howard Street was pronounced dead at 12:49 p.m. Nov. 1. Each died of a combined drug overdose of heroin, cocaine and alcohol and were found at home. Barbara Wilbert, 36, of Margaretta Street, was pronounced dead at 11:18 p.m. Oct. 31. She died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol. She was found slumped over in the cab of a pickup parked in the rear of the 400 block of East Main Street. "All three were essentially heroin deaths," Wecht said. All three were ruled accidental. Investigators determined that Kapezynski, a first-time user, snorted the heroin that killed him, Wecht said. The other two injected the drug. "We have been working hard and we will continue to work hard," Carnegie police Chief Jeffrey C. Harbin said of the Carnegie and county police investigation. "I believe we owe it to the families of the people who died to do everything we possibly can to find out who supplied the drugs to the people." If found, the drug supplier could be charged with third-degree murder, county Assistant District Attorney Mark Tranquilli said. "There are a lot of people out there who probably know a lot about people who are dispensing this kind of drug," Tranquilli said. He asked people with information to call Allegheny County police at (412) 473-3000 or Carnegie police at (412) 276-4245. Superintendent Ken Fulton said county police will continue to work with the coroner and the Allegheny County Health Department, "to open the public's eyes —make them aware of the situation out there —make them aware there is a problem." Wecht said an additional reason to hold the news conference was that, unlike other communities, "our changes have been dramatically for the worse." In 2000, the county had 110 deaths from drug overdoses. In 2001, there were at least 140 known drug overdose deaths, with another five or 10 cases still pending. In the past two months, there have been nine known drug-related deaths, Wecht said. "We're talking about something very serious here. "It's a dangerous game to play —pharmacological Russian roulette. I think you've got to be very bold and, I frankly believe, quite stupid, to engage in this game." Although county Chief Toxicologist Frederick W. Fochtman found no evidence that the three people died of heroin from the same batch, he said, the potency of these drugs was double or triple what someone might be accustomed to using. Wecht said statistically there has to be a "common denominator" for the three overdose deaths, even though it has not yet been proven. Harbin said he's seen "nothing even close in my 26-year career." "I hope that the officers will have more success in their police investigations than, regrettably, we have had in our toxicological/pharmacological investigations, " Wecht said. While the coroner's office ruled the three deaths accidental, "that's not written in stone," Wecht said. "This is not the end of the investigation."

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