Prosecutor: Pottstown man left man ‘to die’
NORRISTOWN » A Pottstown man delivered a fatal dose of methamphetamine and fentanyl to a Lower Pottsgrove man and left him to die in the stairwell of a borough apartment building, a prosecutor argued to a jury.
“Power, control, that’s what this case is about. That’s what motivated the defendant. He delivered methamphetamine and fentanyl to Kevin High,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Lloyd suggested
to a jury during her opening statement as the trial of Ronald Charles Purvis got under way on Tuesday.
Lloyd alleged Purvis, 33, of the 300 block of East High Street, did not seek medical assistance for High, 29, who was in distress and who subsequently died at Purvis’ apartment.
“Instead, he drug him out onto the landing of the stairwell and left him there to die,” Lloyd argued to the jury of 10 women and two men.
But defense lawyer Carrie L. Allman suggested others who were inside Purvis’ apartment at the time of the March 30, 2017, incident, including Purvis’ girlfriend and the prosecution’s star witness, Jennifer Wiegand, could have given the drugs to High.
“This case is about pointing the finger,” Allman argued to jurors during her opening statement, suggesting prosecution witnesses gave inconsistent statements to authorities and falsely blamed Purvis. “Kevin High is a victim but he is not a victim of Ronald
Purvis. Ronald Purvis did not provide drugs to Kevin High that day.”
Purvis faces charges of drug delivery resulting in death, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence, possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and obstructing the administration of law in connection with High’s overdose death.
According to testimony, High went to Purvis’ apartment during the late afternoon of March 29, within hours of being released from jail. Wiegand told authorities that Purvis gave High a bag, which she believed contained heroin, and a metal container, which usually contained methamphetamine, and High ingested the contents of the bag and container, according to testimony and the criminal complaint.
Lloyd characterized Wiegand as being afraid of Purvis and as someone who had to be forced to testify before a grand jury during the investigation. Lloyd revealed to the jury that Wiegand was granted immunity for her testimony because she had critical information for investigators.
Wiegand has not been charged with any crimes.
Allman suggested Wiegand didn’t identify Purvis as the person who gave High the drugs until she was forced to testify before a grand jury.
“Think about what her motivation is and think about the benefit she got. She got immunity. She’s not facing a single charge. She has every reason and incentive to lie about what happened that day,” Allman argued.
The trial before Judge Risa Vetri Ferman is expected to last about three days.
The investigation began just after 3 a.m. March 30 when borough police were dispatched to Purvis’ apartment for a report
of an unconscious person. Wiegand identified the victim as High, police said.
“He was apparently deceased,” Pottstown Police Officer Frank Glaser testified, adding that Purvis was “reluctant” to talk to authorities at the scene. “He didn’t want to speak with me.”
But Purvis did voluntarily go to the police station to talk with detectives, testimony revealed. During the interview, Purvis and detectives, according to testimony and court documents, discussed who could be at fault for the overdose death and Purvis allegedly stated, “Yeah, but what about the person that gave it to him?”
According to testimony, High went to Purvis’ apartment during the late afternoon of March 29, within hours of being released from jail. Prosecutors alleged that’s when Purvis provided High with the drugs.
Witnesses who had been in and out of Purvis’ apartment around the same time told detectives High immediately began acting differently. High began talking more slowly and then passed out and his breathing became
irregular and there was a “weird sound, like a snorting kind of sound in the back of the throat,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Shemar Reed, 19, testified, he was at the apartment and thought High “was sick.” Reed told jurors Purvis attempted to take High’s pulse and even placed a blood pressure cuff on High as he sat on a couch.
“(Purvis) was giving him water, putting it toward his mouth but (High) wasn’t swallowing the water,” Reed testified, adding however, he never observed anyone give High drugs and didn’t see High ingest any drugs during the time he was in an out of the apartment.
Lloyd alleged Purvis also placed an electric dog collar on High’s arm, neck and face. When Purvis allegedly shocked High with the dog collar witnesses saw High’s muscles “twitch” but High did not wake up, according to the criminal complaint filed by Pottstown Police Sergeant Michael Markovich.
While High was overdosing, Purvis asked a neighbor to help move High out of the apartment
and they moved High into the hallway. Purvis, accompanied by two women, then “went shopping at the Walmart in Pottstown,” according to the criminal complaint.
When Purvis and the women returned to the apartment they noticed High was pale, had no pulse and was not breathing, according to the arrest affidavit. Purvis allegedly told the women they would call 911 but say that High had been up and moving around when they went to Walmart.
Detectives alleged Purvis, in an attempt to cover up the crime and hinder the investigation, also destroyed videotapes from cameras he had installed in his apartment.
An autopsy determined High, of Lower Pottsgrove, died of combined drug intoxication of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to court papers.
If convicted of drug delivery resulting in death, Purvis could face a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.
Purvis remains in the county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail while awaiting the outcome of his trial.