Christopher Hoerth (Fond du Lac Co. Jail)
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Fond du Lac man was convicted of supplying the drugs that led to his sister’s overdose death.
After a five-day trial, a jury convicted Christopher J. Hoerth, 39, of first-degree reckless homicide.
Prosecutors say in May of 2020 Hoerth traveled to Milwaukee to buy what he thought was heroin, then gave it to his sister in North Fond du Lac.
According to the criminal complaint, his sister completed a methadone clinic treatment in 2018 and then relapsed with her brother’s delivery of fentanyl to her.
The Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death to be fentanyl toxicity, with 30 ng/mL of fentanyl found in her blood at the time of the autopsy.
“This was an emotional case for a family that lost a loved one to a fentanyl death and seeing another family member on trial for her death. We will continue to seek justice for all the families that have lost a loved one to an overdose death by holding those accountable that sell poison in our community. We are grateful for the extraordinary effort our law enforcement agencies do in investigating these challenging deaths,” said District Attorney Eric Toney.
Hoerth previously pleaded no contest to the homicide charge but later withdrew that plea, leading to the trial. The defendant pleaded no contest to Felony Bail Jumping the morning of trial and was found guilty.
Both convictions have a repeater enhancer, and the defendant faces over 30 years of initial confinement.
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