Greendale Couple Charged In Overdose Death Of West Harrison Man

Investigators say the victim had Fentanyl in his system at the time of his death.

Seth R. Donohue and Karina M. Gonzalez. Photos by the Dearborn County Sheriff's Office. 

(Dearborn County, Ind.) - A Greendale couple has been jailed after a fatal overdose is Dearborn County. 

On September 7, Dearborn County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home on Flagstone Drive in West Harrison where they located a deceased male, identified as Jacob Berting. 

Investigators say they located several "lines" of a white powdery substance in close proximity to the body. The substance looked to be consistent with fentanyl, according to a probable cause affidavit. 

Fentanyl is a man-made opiate that is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 15 to 20 percent more potent than heroin. 

Through the course of the investigation, the Dearborn County Special Crimes Unit learned of communications between Berting and two individuals identified as Seth Donohue, 23, and Karina Gonzalez, 19, both of Greendale. 

Court documents show that the victim had used the PayPal application to make four payments between $70 and $125 to Gonzalez with the latest transaction coming two days prior to his death. 

Detectives spoke with Gonzalez at her Greendale residence on September 25, learning that she was Donohue's girlfriend. Gonzalez initially stated that she knew Berting through Donohue, but had limited interaction with him. When asked about the transactions, Gonzalez advised detectives that  Berting owed Donohue money, but she didn't know what for. 

After further questioning, Gonzalez allegedly admitted to being at the victim's residence two days prior to his death. She further admitted to driving Donohue to the Flagstone Drive residence on multiple occasions where she observed money exchanges. Gonzalez claimed she had no knowledge of any drug trafficking at the time. 

A forensic analysis of Gonzalez's phone showed a large amount of conversations between Donohue and Gonzalez regarding trafficking of narcotics, including messages referring to  Berting. 

Gonzalez allegedly admitted that she knew Donohue was trafficking narcotics to Berting, but was unsure what specific narcotic. 

On November 6, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office released the cause of Berting's death to be Fentanyl and Acetyl Fentanyl Intoxication. At the time of his death, Berting's toxicology levels showed that he had 55.8 ng/mL of Fentanyl in his system. 

Gonzalez and Donohue were taken into custody on November 10 and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance Resulting in Death (Level 1 Felony), Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance Resulting in Death (Level 1 Felony), and Dealing in a Narcotic Drug (Level 5 Felony). 

Donohue is held in the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center on $75,000 cash bond. The high cash bond is due to the allegations and admission of dealing heroin to the deceased. 

Gonzalez is held on $50,000 cash bond.