Death on Fondren Ruled an Accident

This just in from Chief Gary Adams of the UPPD.

The death of 20 year old Warren Montgomery Merrell, who was found dead in the residence at 2912 Fondern in University Park on December 18, 2010, has been ruled an accident as a result of mixed drug intoxication (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine).  The cause of death report was mailed February 25, 2011, and received today.

Wouldn’t call that an accident necessarily but I don’t make that call.

By Merritt Patterson Feb. 28, 2011 | 12:05 pm | 15 Comments | Comments RSS
15 comments to "Death on Fondren Ruled an Accident"
  1. Jordan @ February 28, 2011 at 2:49 pm
    wow, i was close friends with monty and would NEVER have even considered it possible that he would use heroin or cocaine of all things.. rest in peace

  2. sally @ February 28, 2011 at 4:33 pm
    rest in peace montie it was an accident

  3. DemBones @ February 28, 2011 at 5:40 pm
    Merritt, I think the police may have been making two statements, one that the death “has been ruled an accident” and the other that the death was “a result of mixed drug intoxication.” I doubt the ruling was based purely on the cause of death. The police would have gathered other evidence, interviewed friends and family, etc.

  4. kmom @ February 28, 2011 at 6:15 pm
    Methyle……. is Ecstasy, I googled it.

  5. mk @ February 28, 2011 at 8:44 pm
    Geez, that’s a sad story all the way around.

  6. HPHS Parent @ February 28, 2011 at 9:05 pm
    When I was in high school, heroin was melted and injected IV with a hypodermic needle. It was extremely expensive and no one in my high school had access to it.

    Today there is some capsule taken orally. Kids don’t even know what they have purchased. There were two more nearly identical accidental deaths within 15 days of Monty’s death: David Delatour
    http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=David-Delatour&lc=2251&pid=147589811&mid=4500051

    and Preston Richmond.
    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSob=c&GSlh=1&GRid=63849367&
    Preston Richmond was one of seven Woodrow football players who made the state all-academic team in 2007.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson_High_School_(Dallas,_Texas)

    Their deaths were 12/31 and 1/3. Will post tox results when they become available.

  7. Time to Wake Up @ March 1, 2011 at 7:59 am
    Park Cities parents need to know what is out there – this isn’t just a ghetto problem! Monty graduated from HPHS, David started out at HPHS and Preston started high school at St. Marks.

  8. missie @ March 1, 2011 at 8:36 am
    It is an accident. Addicts often have periods of sobriety. When they relapse, they default to their former dose of heroin and overdose.

  9. XT @ March 1, 2011 at 8:50 am
    First off, RIP to this young man, and I hope his family can find peace with this tragic death.

    Secondly, it is an accident. It wasn’t a suicide, and there was no “foul play”. Of course doing these types of activities greatly increases ones probability of an accident happening, but still an accident.

    @ Time to Wake Up, interesting to see the post above about drug sniffing dogs at MIS. 5th and 6th graders possibly doing drugs? Scary. Time to wake up indeed.

  10. Ali VanKirk @ March 1, 2011 at 3:32 pm
    First of all, it is none of your business, Merritt and secondly, you of all people in the middle of a public scandal about your own life should know better than to publicize something like this…and for no good reason at all except to hurt others. I realize you are a journalist, but do you have any sort of conscious or a heart?
    Think about this poor family — suffering every day regardless of a family member’s death.
    And if you can’t think about this, maybe you should get your Bible and read this –
    Matthew 7
    1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
    2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Mk. 4.24

    3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
    4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
    5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
    6 ¶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you

  11. girlmom @ March 1, 2011 at 6:25 pm
    The drug sniffing dogs were at HPMS… which is 7th and 8th grade, not MIS which is 5th and 6th grade. Just to clarify. Highland Park Middle School is HPMS, not MIS.

  12. amanda @ March 1, 2011 at 6:29 pm
    I think they have to pick from suicide, homicide, accidental death, and undetermined… And, then within that category they define the manner.

    Yes, as everyone has said…this is really sad. I think Merritt’s original point is based on the address…trouble at this residence before.

    And, WOW. Did not know about the pill form of herion.

  13. sally @ March 4, 2011 at 12:01 pm
    dear merrell family
    please know you are loved and being prayed for and your precious son is home now

  14. Madison @ March 21, 2011 at 6:37 pm
    Warren Montgomery Merrell (Monty) was my brother and still is at heart, I would like to say to the Journalist that you shouldn’t say anything that you are not 100% sure on. Like Monty didn’t even go to HPHS he just lived in the area and I do find it a little upsetting that people that didn’t even know my brother is talking about him like they do, but I would like to say thank you to those that are being kind to my family and I.

  15. Queenie Lou @ April 1, 2011 at 7:21 am
    Dear Merrell family: My heart aches for your loss. May time ease the pain for you all. God bless.

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