Drug selling teen charged in drug death

Alta. teen arrested in connection with party drug deaths     Canwest News ServiceMarch 26, 2009 12:02 PM     About 70 residents from the Paul Band First Nation gather for a candlelight/prayer vigil in memory of the two girls who died after taking ecstasy on the weekend.

EDMONTON — RCMP have arrested an Alberta teenager in relation to the deaths of two teenage girls who overdosed and died after taking drugs they believed to be ecstasy.

Stony Plain RCMP said in a news release Thursday they have charged a 16-year-old male from the Paul Band First Nation with nine offences, including criminal negligence causing death and drug trafficking.

Trinity Bird, 15 and Leah House, 14, fell ill after taking drugs at a weekend party. Bird died Tuesday night at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton after slipping into a coma.

Nine girls took pills they thought were ecstasy on Saturday just before a round dance at the Paul Band First Nation, about 80 kilometres west of Edmonton. Several hours later, three of them fell ill.

RCMP said traces of ecstasy were found in their blood, but no trace of any poison was found.

The 16-year-old is charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death, two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, failure to comply with police and four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.

The youth, who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been released with conditions to appear in Stony Plain Provincial Court on May 1.

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