CLEARFIELD – The case against a West Decatur man charged in the fatal drug overdose of a Clearfield woman will go to the jury Wednesday.
Trevor J. Bloom, 41, 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.
Bloom allegedly prepared LaBorde a “small line” from some of his leftover drug residue, which prosecutors say caused her death. The residue later tested positive for fentanyl.
In his closing arguments Tuesday afternoon, Maines spoke of how “difficult” and how “emotional” this case has been for everyone involved including his client.
“It’s been tough. He lost the love of his life.”
He said the couple had made a home together for 10 years, and LaBorde saw Bloom at his best and at his worst as a struggling heroin addict for 20 years—possibly more.
Maines also spoke of how Bloom used drugs excessively daily, saying LaBorde must have been awfully tolerant and never gave in when Bloom would “jokingly” offer her drugs.
On the day in question, he said Bloom emptied three stamp bags of what he thought was heroin for his own personal use onto a small table in the couple’s dining room.
LaBorde complained about not feeling well and having a headache all day and as he did so often over the past 10 years, Bloom told her to do some heroin that it would make her feel better.
“It was a joke,” Maines argued, telling jurors it was never Bloom’s intent for LaBorde to use his drugs, and he didn’t actually expect her to because she wasn’t even a drug user.
“So, that was the last thing on his mind—that she might use it, try it for the first time.” Maines said that has always been Bloom’s story from the very beginning and it’s “never changed.”
Sayers agreed with Maines—that it’s been a difficult case, which is why Bloom needed to be held accountable for his actions that led to LaBorde’s death.
She was breathless, pulseless; she was blue and left completely lifeless, said Sayers, arguing that when Bloom was questioned about what happened, he reported she’d tried heroin for the first time.
Why, Sayers asked? Bloom made her a line of what he knew was fentanyl and that by his own estimations was about a quarter of a stamp bag.
“He was an addict for over 20 years. He knows the effects of drugs, and so he knows it doesn’t take much fentanyl to kill someone. He’s had to help resuscitate 70 friends.
“This wasn’t his first time.”
And still, Sayers said the defense argues “it was some joke,” a story they say we (the commonwealth) can’t disprove, when in reality, the only one who actually would be able to is deceased.
Court will reconvene at 9 a.m. Wednesday when President Judge Fredric Ammerman will give the jury its instructions after which it will be sent into deliberations.