By Jeremy Ratliff
MMC Staff
TOMAHAWK – Two Tomahawk men remain in the custody of the Lincoln County jail on $20,000 and $50,000 cash bonds facing charges related to the Dec. 2019 drug overdose death of a 23-year old Tomahawk woman.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the office of Lincoln County District Attorney Galen Bayne-Allison, 39-year old Aaron C. Dziura and 34-year old Daniel J. Horwath, both of Tomahawk, are accused of providing methamphetamine to the woman, who died two days later.
As stated in the complaint, on the morning of Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, officers of the Tomahawk Police Department responded to a residence located in the 200 block of West Wisconsin Street in the City of Tomahawk (Horwath’s residence) in response to a report of a female party who wasn’t breathing.
Upon arrival by authorities, EMS personnel were actively performing CPR on the female party while Dziura, identified in the criminal complaint as the reporting party, was located in the kitchen area of the residence with the female party’s minor child. The female party was later transported to a local hospital.
According to the criminal complaint, the female party passed away on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Autopsy results obtained by the Tomahawk Police Department on Jan. 17, 2020 indicated the victim’s cause of death was toxicity related to methamphetamine.
Upon further investigation, Dziura reportedly initially denied any knowledge of the victim consuming drugs, aside from marijuana. However, various items of drug paraphernalia observed inside the residence were seized, including packaging material which later tested positive for methamphetamine.
Upon contact with Horwath on the afternoon of Dec. 16, he too denied knowledge of the victim consuming drugs.
On the morning of Dec. 17, during an interview with Tomahawk police, Dziura was advised of the victim’s medical condition. He reportedly admitted to being aware of the victim consuming methamphetamine, and offered to show authorities a sample of what he thought the victim had consumed. A TPD detective then traveled with Dziura to Dziura’s residence, where Dziura reportedly turned over a small amount of apparent Methamphetamine.
According to information provided by the detective in the criminal complaint, the substance provided by Dziura tested positive for methamphetamine, via field test. Dziura reportedly admitted he and Horwath had been involved in the transaction to obtain the methamphetamine, and subsequently split the methamphetamine.
A short time later, a TPD detective interviewed Horwath via phone, regarding items of drug paraphernalia possibly being located inside Horwath’s residence. Horwath reportedly denied the existence of such items, but authorized authorities to search his residence and remove any such things from his residence. As a result of the search, two hypodermic needles were located, as well as a device commonly used to inhale drugs in powder form.
As part of another interview with law enforcement on the morning of Dec. 19, Horwath reportedly admitted to contacting Dziura to obtain methamphetamine. Horwath and Dziura later met at a remote area near Tomahawk, during which Horwath reportedly gave Dziura a portion of the drug. Horwath reportedly advised he and the victim had consumed methamphetamine in the late-night hours of Dec. 15.
According to Horwath, the victim indicated feeling unwell, at which point he contacted Dziura to come stay with the victim, as Horwath went to work.
Both men appeared in Lincoln County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Aug. 25, facing charges of first degree reckless homicide. Horwath remains in custody on $20,000 cash bond. Dziura remains in custody on $50,000 cash bond.