BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – Two area women are behind bars in connection with a fatal overdose in Brookville.
According to court documents, on February 25, 2023, at approximately 1:18 a.m., the Brookville Borough Police Department was dispatched to 46 South White Street for a report of a 46-year-old man in cardiac arrest.
The victim, later identified as Lee Rumbaugh, of Brookville, was found in the attic.
Medical personnel attempted to resuscitate Rumbaugh for approximately 20 minutes before contacting Jefferson County Coroner Brenda Shumaker.
Shumaker pronounced Rumbaugh dead at 2:15 a.m.
A criminal complaint filed by Brookville Borough Police Officer Turnbull and the Chief of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force further detailed the incident.
The criminal complaint notes that Officer Steele observed a white powdery substance on one side of the foil that was open.
Inside the top drawer of the dresser, Coroner Shumaker and Officer Steele found three plastic straws that appeared to be cut from a long straw, with angled edges. Straws cut from longer straws with an angled edge are commonly used to ingest controlled substances via inhaling through the nose; commonly referred to as snorting. Fentanyl is a commonly snorted controlled substance that often comes in a light-colored powdery form.
According to the criminal complaint, one of the straws contained a substantial amount of white powder.
In addition to the straws, Officer Steele also found several pieces of tinfoil that had burned residue on them inside the top drawer of the dresser.
Tin foil with burn marks on it is common in the use of controlled substances, including but not limited to heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and prescription medications, among other controlled substances.
This method entails heating the base of the foil with the substance on top, causing the substance to smoke. A metal or glass pipe is then held over the vaporized substance and inhaled.
These items were collected with gloved hands, placed into an evidence bag, and sealed, according to the criminal complaint.
Around 3:10 a.m., Shumaker drew fluid from both of Rumbaugh’s eyes, as well as a blood sample from his chest.
Facebook Messages, Calls Leading Up to Rumbaugh’s Overdose
According to the criminal complaint, a search of Rumbaugh’s phone revealed a February 24 Facebook Messenger conversation between Rumbaugh and a woman named Autumn.
The first message in the conversation was received by Rumbaugh from Autumn at 1:33 p.m.
In the message, Autumn acknowledges to Rumbaugh that a man named Ronnie was going to “cover it.”
The next message by Autumn was unsent (unsent means that the sending party sent a message and then removed the message so it cannot be read).
Rumbaugh responded to the suspected deleted message stating: “Ok if Ronnie can cover that I thank him. Just drop it off in my truck and I will get it out of there if that’s okay.”
Autumn responded with “okay” and then sent another message. She then unsent the second message and Rumbaugh responded with “okay.”
At approximately 7:36 p.m., Rumbaugh asked Autumn if they had left yet and she responded with “yes,” they were almost back in town.
Rumbaugh asked Autumn to drop “it” off in his cup holder.
At approximately 8:33 p.m., Autumn sent a message to Rumbaugh asking “if the money is in the truck, per Ronnie’s request.” In a second message, Autumn tells Rumbaugh that “Ronnie is not giving it to her to drop off until the money is there.” Rumbaugh responds with “it is there.”
The conversation continued throughout the evening including multiple missed audio calls between Autumn and Rumbaugh.
A 53-second audio call between Rumbaugh and Autumn took place sometime between 10:50 p.m. and 11:11 p.m. Then, at 11:11 p.m. , a second call lasting 33 seconds took place. This was the last contact between Rumbaugh and Autumn, according to the criminal complaint.
On February 25, a search warrant was obtained for Autumn’s cell phone.
Corner Examination of Rumbaugh’s Body, Toxicology Report
On February 27, 2023, Chief Markle of the Brookville Borough Police Department asked Shumaker if, during her examination of Rumbaugh, she noticed any white powder in his nasal cavity.
According to the criminal complaint, Shumaker told Chief Markle that “it appeared Rumbaugh used a straw or something to get what appeared to be a white substance high into the nasal cavity. This led her to believe Rumbaugh ingested fentanyl.
On March 13, 2023, investigators received a copy of the toxicology report. These findings indicated that Rumbaugh had Carboxy, Delta-9-THC, 4-ANPP, Fentanyl, Norfentanyl, Xylazine, and Naloxone in his system.
Autumn Allegedly Facilitates Drug Deal Using Facebook Messenger
On May 16, 2023, investigators received a copy of the information received from a Meta Platforms search warrant. This information contained the detailed Facebook conversations Autumn had during the day preceding the death of Rumbaugh, according to the criminal complaint.
In these conversations, Autumn arranged to meet with “Gnarly Guthrie,” later identified as Fatimah Elaine Sho Guthrie, for the sale of controlled substances. In these messages, Fatimah Guthrie informs Autumn that she is “selling by the gram at $300 each.”
Autumn continues to message Fatimah Guthrie saying: “I need a gram. 150 worth. And a bunnie. Throw some of that gram in my bunnie please.”
“I need a gram. A 150 worth. And a 100 worth … throw some of that gram in my 100 please lol.”
The conversation continues with Autumn informing Fatimah Guthrie that she has a total of $550.00 for different people, according to the criminal complaint.
Fatimah Guthrie agrees and tells Autumn to “be there at 6:30.” Fatimah Guthrie then asks who is in the vehicle to which Autumn reports Ronnie and the driver, Dylan.
As the conversation continues, Fatimah Guthrie tells Autumn to “come to the window, not to let anyone see her, and not to be dropped off out front of the residence.”
Fatimah Guthrie then informs Autumn that “100 is in blue clear bag 150 in clear bag G in big bag.” This is consistent with the order placed by Autumn in the previous messages, according to the criminal complaint.
In addition, the messages show that Autumn was aware that the controlled substance was fentanyl and not simply heroin, as she provided numerous messages with online information about the duration of fentanyl detectability for drug testing in urine, according to the criminal complaint.
Jailhouse Interview Reveals More Details
On July 28, 2023, at approximately 11:24 a.m., investigators met with a man named Jake at the Clarion County Jail. Jake agreed to speak to investigators without an attorney present.
According to the criminal complaint, Jake acknowledged he was an addict using heroin/fentanyl and was associated with Autumn and Ronnie during this time period. He denied any previous knowledge of Lee Rumbaugh or his death on February 24.
Jake also told investigators that he rode with or drove Autumn to meet Fatimah and Rebecca Guthrie at a residence in Brockway Borough. He said vehicles would often park at the church next door to the Guthrie residence and Fatimah Guthrie or Rebecca Guthrie would come out of the residence and deliver the substances.
“If it was at night, they would have an individual come to the window of the first floor of the residence and the transaction would occur through the window due to the residence belonging to the grandparent of either Rebecca or Fatimah Guthrie,” according to the criminal complaint.
Jake told investigators that the heroin/fentanyl that the Guthries would supply would often be packaged in an oversized green waxen stamp bag, never packaged with any markings on the bag. He further reported that, on several occasions, he would personally drive on his own to the residence, but also knew that a man named Dylan would frequently drive Autumn to the residence without him being involved.
Jake said Autumn and Ronnie always traveled to the Guthrie house together. “It was never, to the best of his knowledge, just one party,” He said sometime around the time of Rumbaugh’s death, he stopped riding to the residence with them and would travel on his own, approximately four times in total, the complaint states.
According to the criminal complaint, he told investigators that the lone time he transported the Guthries to Philadelphia to get approximately 226 buns of heroin, he was stopped by police and arrested. He said, “he knows that the Guthries cut their heroin because the stamp bags that they buy are actually stamped whereas the bags they sell are not, and are a different color and size.”
Autumn Interviewed at District Attorney’s Office
On August 8, 2023, investigators conducted an interview with Autumn. Prior to the interview, Autumn was located at her workplace where police advised her that she was not under arrest and was free to leave at any time. She agreed to travel to the District Attorney’s office where the interview was conducted.
Autumn told investigators that on the evening of February 24, 2023, arrangements were made with the victim that Ronnie would provide $40 on behalf of the victim to pay for $40 worth of heroin/fentanyl.
According to the criminal complaint, she told investigators that she traveled to Brockway with her Ronnie and Jake was the driver. She said that they went to the residence of Fatimah and Rebecca Guthrie.
Autumn told police that these parties were her regular suppliers of heroin/fentanyl. Autumn said she walked to the window and received the controlled substance from she believes Rebecca Guthrie on February 24. This transaction was facilitated through the known Facebook account of Fatimah Guthrie, according to the criminal complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, Autumn told investigators that she was supplying not only herself, but Ronnie, the victim, Jake, and another known male. Autumn reported that she had used some of her supply and provided all parties in the vehicle with their respective amounts of controlled substance at this time. The group then traveled to the victim’s residence, where she alone exited the vehicle, placed the controlled substance into the cup holder of the victim’s vehicle, and took possession of the $40 that had been left there by the victim.
Autumn reported that the controlled substances sold by the Guthries came in green and purple bags and she would split the substance from there with foil of her own.
“The information provided by Autumn on how she arranged the deal, approached the residence, and met with R. Guthrie to obtain the substance is consistent with the tactics and instructions provided by Fatimah Guthrie to Autumn in the messages reviewed by investigators,” according to the criminal complaint.
Ronnie Interviewed at District Attorney’s Office
On August 15, 2023, investigators met with Ronnie during his lunch break at his place of employment. Ronnie agreed to be transported to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for an interview. He advised that he was free to leave at any time, according to the criminal complaint.
“He started off the interview by telling a lie that was similar to that of the lie he and Autumn had related during their first interview,” according to the criminal complaint.
“After being confronted that we were aware he was lying, Ronnie began to be honest,” said investigators in the complaint.
Ronnie told investigators that he agreed to let the victim borrow money to buy heroin/fentanyl. He also confirmed that he, Autumn, and Jake traveled from Brookville Borough, stopping briefly at a business outside of the borough, and then to the Guthrie residence.
When asked to describe the two, Ronnie described Rebecca (Veltri) Guthrie and Fatimah Guthrie. He told the investigators that on this evening he provided Autumn with $40 for the victim and $100 for himself. He said Autumn was dropped off at a church near the residence. She walked to the residence of the Guthries and was picked up a short time later, according to the criminal complaint.
Ronnie reported that Autumn did separate the controlled substances and provided each party with the respective amounts. He denied being in the vehicle when Autumn took the fatal dose to the victim and said that he never received the $40 dollars that Autumn took from the vehicle. Ronnie did acknowledge that he and Autumn conspired to lie to the police about the events of that night when police arrived to request an interview the first time, according to the criminal complaint.
Ronnie did acknowledge that when he was arrested on DUI and possession charges, the controlled substance in a green bag was from the Guthries acquired on a separate day after the fatal overdose of the victim.
According to the criminal complaint, the information provided by Ronnie related to how Autumn arranged the deal, approached the residence, and met with Rebecca Guthrie to obtain the substance is consistent with the tactics and instructions provided by Fatimah Guthrie to Autumn in the messages reviewed by investigators.
Cause of Death Confirmed, Controlled Buy Arranged
The criminal complaint indicates that on August 8, 2023, investigators received a copy of the final anatomic diagnoses for the victim. In this report, the cause of death is listed as: Mixed drug toxicity (THC. fentanyl, Xylazine). Hypertensive cardiovascular disease and morbid obesity are contributing conditions, according to the criminal complaint.
On September 13, 2023, a controlled buy of suspected fentanyl and Xylazine was made from Fatimah Guthrie arranged by Rebecca Guthrie.
A controlled buy of suspected fentanyl and Xylazine was made from Fatimah Guthrie arranged by Rebecca Guthrie on September 14, 2023.
On September 16, 2023, a search warrant was served at the residence of Fatimah and Rebecca Guthrie, in which packaging materials, green and purple bags as described by the parties during the interviews, and other materials related to the packaging, preparation, and sales of controlled substances were located.
The following charges were filed against Rebecca Guthrie, 35, of Brockway, on September 25 at District Judge Gregory M Bazylak’s office:
- Drug Delivery Resulting In Death, Felony 1
- Conspiracy – Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Criminal Use Of Communication Facility, Felony 3
- Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Use/Poss Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
Fatimah Elaine Sho Guthrie, 30, also of Brockway, was charged with the following offenses on September 18, 2023, at Judge Bazylak’s offie:
- Drug Delivery Resulting In Death, Felony 1
- Criminal Use Of Communication Facility, Felony 3
- Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony (2 counts)
- Conspiracy – Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Use/Poss Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
Both women are currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail.
As of September 26, no other charges have been filed in the case.