Three Charged in 21-year-old Woman's OD Death
Ross (L), Hoeft, and Ruae
Three people have been charged with aiding and abetting 3rd-degree murder, accused of providing a 21-year-old woman with the drugs that caused her death.
23-year-old Haley Ross and 21-year-old Connor Hoeft, both of North Mankato, along with 25-year-old Kueth Ruae, of Mankato, were all formally charged in court earlier this week.
According to the criminal complaints, officers with the Mankato Police Department were called on Dec. 1, 2022, just before 12 p.m. to a residence in Blue Earth County. Ross had called 911 and reported that her roommate and her boyfriend, Hoeft, had overdosed and were unresponsive inside.
An officer arrived and Ross directed them to the rear bedroom. The officer found the 21-year-old female victim deceased and Hoeft nearby unresponsive. The officer began to administer Narcan to Hoeft, who eventually woke up and was reportedly disoriented before he was transported to the hospital by paramedics.
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An agent with the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force responded to assist with the investigation and located multiple pieces of tinfoil with burnt markings, reportedly used to ingest pills often containing fentanyl, referred to as “percs,” “blues,” or “30s.” Other drug paraphernalia was found in the bedroom, the documents allege.
Agents obtained search warrants for the cellphones belonging to Ross, Hoeft and the victim, finding multiple messages on Snapchat talking about buying pills. The agent also found financial transactions on Venmo on Hoeft’s phone, indicating that he transferred money to Ross on multiple occasions near the time of the victim’s death.
Haley Ross indicated in an interview that she had invited Ruae to her apartment to bring her a “joint” containing marijuana. When Ruae came over, he asked Ross and the victim if they wanted to try “percs.” Ross and the victim agreed.
Ross told investigators that Hoeft had also wanted to try the drugs and they later contacted Ruae about purchasing more.
Hoeft was interviewed and told law enforcement that he and the victim had sent Ross $90 on Venmo so she could purchase six Percocet pills, two for each of them. Hoeft stated that after they received the drugs, he, Ross and the victim smoked the pills in a bedroom. The next thing he remembered was being in the hospital, the documents said.
An autopsy performed on the victim by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that she died from fentanyl toxicity.
Hoeft and Ross made initial court appearances on Tuesday, where bail was set at $250,000 each without conditions. Ruae is reported to be at a detox facility and was charged by warrant.
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