Wallingford drug dealer gets 16 to 35 years in OD deaths
Cases ‘deeply affected our community,’ judge says
MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A Wallingford man was sentenced to 16 to 35 years in prison Wednesday for the 2020 overdose deaths of 34-year-old Patrick Chazin and 16-year old Morgan Murphy.
William M. Gabe, 33, of the 700 block of Maryland Avenue, was also ordered to pay a total $9,900 restitution to both victims’ families for funeral costs under the sentence imposed by Common Pleas Court Judge G. Michael Green.
Gabe pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts each of drug delivery resulting in death and possession with the intent to deliver, as well as one count of conspiracy for Chazin’s death.
A co-defendant in that case, Danae M. McIvor, 29, also of Wallingford, is likewise facing charges of drug delivery resulting in death and related offenses. She is scheduled for a status conference before Green on July 12.
16-year-old’s death
Tinicum Township police responded to a report of cardiac arrest at the Red Roof Inn in Essington on July 14, 2020, and found Murphy unresponsive on the floor of a room there. She was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by paramedics, police and her own mother.
An autopsy determined the cause of death to be drug intoxication, including the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Jordyn Cook, an 18-yearold also at the motel, told detectives she met the victim at a residence in Wallingford
before traveling to the Red Roof Inn in a vehicle arranged for them by Gabe.
“At the motel, Cook stated that the defendant produced a bag containing white powder in square packages, pills and marijuana,” according to a prior release from District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. “According to Cook, the defendant also used a needle to inject drugs in his neck and injected the victim in her arm. Cook and the victim then fell asleep, and Cook was awakened when the defendant was unable to awaken the victim.”
Surveillance video footage showed Gabe entering the motel’s lobby area approximately one hour after checking in, where he asked the desk clerk if the motel had Narcan available. The clerk said he did not have any Narcan and asked if he should call the police, but Gabe allegedly responded, “No, no, everything will be fine” before leaving the lobby.
Gabe was also seen in surveillance footage leaving the room and running to an area on the perimeter of the property. A check of that area revealed a small trash bag containing a hypodermic needle and glassine bags.
Gabe was arrested Dec. 17, 2020, by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Pennsylvania State Police at a Middletown residence where he was hiding out. He later acknowledged to police that he had gone to the desk asking about Narcan.
‘No help was offered’
Deputy District Attorney Laurie Moore read numerous letters from Murphy’s family Wednesday, who described her as a smart, expressive and creative person with her whole life ahead of her. Murphy loved art, animals and making people laugh, and had just begun earning her own money with a job at McDonald’s shortly before her death, which she used to buy her loved ones gifts, they said.
“The events and actions — or lack thereof — that took place on July 14, 2020, has devastated and impacted my family more than anyone could possibly imagine,” Murphy’s grandmother, Dawn, said in her letter. “Not only did my family suffer a huge loss of losing Morgan, the world also did.”
The youngest of four siblings, Murphy was described as the shy but silly baby of the family, whose compassion, love and kindness, along with her bright smile and gleaming eyes, filled a home now eerily quiet.
Numerous family members castigated Gabe as evil, a coward and a monster for failing to get their loved one the medical attention she obviously required, and asked for the longest possible sentence to ensure the same fate does not befall someone else.
“Why was this man choosing to spend time with children?” asked her uncle, William, in his letter. “When she was unresponsive, why did he choose to do nothing? Perhaps she could have been saved.”
It was something Moore addressed as well, arguing that it is well known at this point that people calling the police to address an overdose have immunity from prosecution for the very purpose of saving lives like
Murphy’s.
“The real tragedy in this is that no help was offered,” she said. “We know there was a period of upward of three hours that the victim was exhibiting signs of overdose that the defendant was aware of, that he reached out to the front desk at the Red Roof, that he texted individuals in his phone, that he filmed Morgan on the floor, and not, at any point, did he call 911. It was only many, many hours later that Morgan’s mother was called, and Morgan’s mother called 911.”
Earlier death
Gabe and McIvor were charged in May 2021 with Chazin’s death on July 11, 2020, following an investigation by Aston police.
Officers were called to Chazin’s home on the first block of Rosalie Lane and found him unconscious on his bedroom floor, according to an affidavit of probable cause in that case written by Aston Township Police Officer Shane Coyle.
Chazin was pronounced dead by paramedics at 11:07 a.m. Police allegedly found a “glassy crystal like substance” on white paper and two syringes near the body, one full and one empty.
Chazin’s cellphone revealed his last call had been to McIvor, who later consented to a search of her phone. Investigators allegedly found a text chain in which Chazin discussed purchasing narcotics from McIvor and Gabe.
McIvor agreed to deliver two $20 bags of methamphetamine to Chazin’s home and to bring Gabe with her so he could sell Chazin one bag of heroin.
McIvor allegedly told
Coyle she and Chazin discussed her acquiring methamphetamine and heroin for Chazin the day before he was found dead, and that she drove Gabe to Chazin’s home July 10 to deliver the drugs.
When McIvor arrived, she said Chazin came to the driver’s side window and dropped $100 on her lap. Gabe then reached across McIvor and delivered the drugs that had been discussed for purchase, including a bag of fentanyl that Gabe had packaged to deliver under the guise of methamphetamine and heroin.
Moore read a letter from Chazin’s parents Wednesday as well, who also said their lives would never be the same and wondered how many hospitals and cemeteries Gabe had filled by peddling poison in the community.
“You knew my son Patrick died from your drugs on July 11, 2020, but that did not stop you from putting the same drugs in precious Morgan’s arm on July 14, 2020, resulting in her death,” the letter from Barry and Patty Chazin said. “God only knows how many others have overdosed and died from the drugs you sold them.”
Defendant speaks
Defense attorney Robert Keller said Gabe has suffered from mental illness and drug addiction for many years. He has the support of his sister, his only living direct relative, and has been remorseful about the deaths he caused from the beginning, Keller said.
Gabe apologized to both families for his “negligent behavior and reckless actions” in a short statement Wednesday, saying he never intended to hurt anyone and that he wishes he could turn back time. He noted that he did not know Murphy, but said Chazin was a good friend.
“I know I’m going to have a hard time handling the sentence being imposed,” Gabe said, “but I’m sure I’ll have a much harder time living the rest of my life knowing that certain decisions that I made caused some of you to have to go on living your life without your loved ones.”
Gabe was given credit for time served back to his arrest date. Judge Green said he hoped he would reflect on his actions while incarcerated and hopefully become a useful member of society upon his release from prison.
“These cases, which have so deeply affected our community, are the result solely of your conduct,” the judge told Gabe. “There was on mistake here. It was your conduct. As you serve these sentences, I suggest that you acknowledge — ultimately, to yourself — what your conduct has done to Patrick Chazin and to Morgan Murphy, two individuals who have died by reason of that conduct.”