CLEARFIELD – The trial began Monday for an area man charged in the fatal drug overdose of a Clearfield woman.
Trevor J. Bloom, 41, of West Decatur is charged with felony drug delivery resulting in death and delivery of a controlled substance, plus misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers is prosecuting the case on behalf of the commonwealth. Bloom is being represented by defense attorney Joshua Maines of Clearfield.
The charges stem from events that occurred Dec. 21, 2021 when local police and EMS were called to a Coal Hill Road residence where 36-year-old Lindsey LaBorde was in cardiac arrest.
Officer Ethan Fritz was first on-scene at approximately 3:36 a.m. He found the victim lying on the living room floor and Bloom was attempting life-saving efforts.
Fritz—a certified emergency medical technician —took over CPR, but LaBorde was unresponsive. She “wasn’t breathing, she was pulseless.” Her skin had also turned blue, he testified.
He asked Bloom what happened, and after Bloom stated the victim had tried heroin for the first time, he administered a dose of Narcan, which had “no noticeable effect.”
It was noted that Bloom had already administered one dose of the medication, which can reverse an overdose from opioids, prior to police arrival.
Fritz said EMS—which arrived shortly after him—took over life-saving efforts before LaBorde was transported to Clearfield Penn Highlands Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Bloom—LaBorde’s long-time significant other—was questioned on-scene by Officer Zachary Cowan and Trooper Nathan Lash (formerly of the Lawrence Township Police Department).
He said the victim had complained about not feeling well all day so he prepared her a “small line” of heroin to “make her feel better.”
He admitted to having a heroin addiction for 20 years—possibly longer, and claimed there had been some “long-standing joke” between the couple for the past 10 years.
Bloom said he never expected LaBorde to ingest the drug and headed upstairs to play music, but when he returned to check on her 20 minutes later, she was unresponsive.
Cowan said Bloom showed police where he prepared the line on a small table in the couple’s dining room. They observed residue on the table, as well as three pink stamp bags that had been ripped open.
When police questioned Bloom about his heroin dealer, Cowan said he became very uncooperative and it was clear he was trying to protect them rather than help LaBorde by assisting with the investigation.
He said Bloom never did show up at the hospital and couldn’t be located for further questioning until early January of this year. Portions of that interview were played in court.
In the interview, Bloom told Cowan that LaBorde wasn’t even a drug user, although she did take Subutex at one point, but would never try heroin anytime he “jokingly” offered it.
“So, this just doesn’t make sense.” And, according to his story, LaBorde never caved to pressure or deviated from any prescription.
Bloom couldn’t recall who sold him the drugs that day but did deny he got them from a dealer in Wallaceton and said the transaction possibly occurred in Hyde.
He went on to admit that he knew the drugs were likely “laced with or straight” fentanyl. “Everything is fentanyl these days” and that’s “some nasty [expletive].”
Over the years, Bloom said he’s brought back friends 70 different times from drug overdoses and the first one he couldn’t resuscitate was the victim.
As the interview was concluding, Cowan asked Bloom if he blamed his dealer at all for what happened to LaBorde. He said not really and that the only one to blame was himself.
Christina Fialkowski, a forensic scientist expert with the Pennsylvania State Police Regional Crime Laboratory in Erie, analyzed residue from evidence collected on-scene, which tested positive for fentanyl.
The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Tuesday before President Judge Fredric Ammerman in Courtroom No. 1 at the Clearfield County Courthouse. It’s scheduled to run through Wednesday.
