Vancouver Sun

Gangster’s girlfriend died of carfentani­l overdose: coroner

- KIM BOLAN kbolan@postmedia.com

The girlfriend of high-profile gangster Jamie Bacon died last December of a carfentani­l overdose, according to an investigat­ion by the B.C. Coroners Service.

Kelowna resident Madison Fine was found unresponsi­ve in a Richmond hotel Dec. 1, 2017 — the same day that Bacon had a murder charge against him stayed in B.C. Supreme Court.

The two-page report by coroner Debra Rees said that Fine, 25, had overdosed the night before she died, was taken to hospital by ambulance and was released.

Postmedia earlier revealed that Bacon was concerned when Fine did not attend his court appearance Dec. 1, when Justice Kathleen Ker stayed charges against him in connection with the 2007 Surrey Six murders.

Bacon’s mother Susan went to the Richmond hotel where Fine had been staying and found the young drug trafficker dead inside.

Rees said in her report that the “RCMP Major Crimes Unit attended the scene and determined there was no suspicion of foul play.”

“As death was obvious, no resuscitat­ion was attempted and the female was pronounced deceased on scene,” she said.

“Investigat­ion revealed that Ms. Fine was known to consume illicit substances regularly. Powder and a rolled up bill were found at the scene.”

“I find that Ms. Madison Zoe Fine died in Richmond on December 1, 2017 of carfentani­l toxicity. I classify this death as accidental and make no recommenda­tions,” Rees wrote.

Carfentani­l is considered 100 times more deadly than fentanyl and 10,000 times as toxic as a unit of morphine.

Rees noted that despite being taken to hospital on Nov. 30, Fine had no hospitaliz­ations over the two previous years.

“Family reported that when they became aware of Ms. Fine’s problemati­c substance use, they offered support and treatment but were declined,” Rees said.

Fine had travelled from Kelowna to Vancouver specifical­ly to attend Bacon’s court appearance.

In an obituary Fine was described as the “true love to Jamie.”

“It is with great sadness and heartfelt loss that we share with you the passing of our dear, sweet Maddie to an accidental overdose,” the obituary said.

“Maddie was the most headstrong, smart, creative, entreprene­urial (and maddening at times) daughter, who never accepted help. She always wanted to solve things herself. She had an uncanny ability to read a room and any situation.

“She always fought for the underdog and helped a larger community of people in need.”

When she died, she was still before the courts on charges of wilfully resisting a peace officer and impaired driving.

Bacon remains in pre-trial custody on a charge of counsellin­g someone to commit murder for a botched 2008 shooting of a former associate. That case is due to go to trial in September.

She always fought for the underdog and helped a larger community of people in need.

 ??  ?? Madison Fine
Madison Fine

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