Former Angels employee indicted for distributing fentanyl to Tyler Skaggs
There has been a breakthrough in the Tyler Skaggs case.
Former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay has been charged by authorities in Texas for distributing fentanyl to the now-deceased pitcher, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times.
Skaggs, 27, died in his Texas hotel room on July 1, 2019, ahead of the Angels matchup against the Rangers. He was discovered on his bed with no signs of trauma.
A toxicology report found that fentanyl and oxycodone were in his system, and the Tarrant County medical examiner listed the cause of death as “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents.” In short, it means he choked on his own vomit.
Kay worked in the Angels media relations department for 24 years before leaving after the death of Skaggs, Fenno says. He admitted to investigators that he gave Skaggs the opioids and abused drugs with the pitcher for years, according to ESPN.
Skaggs was a promising pitcher and spent five years with the Angels. He went 25-32 in L.A. with a 4.25 ERA and 419 strikeouts during that time.
Following his death, Angels players laid out Skaggs' jerseys on the mound in an emotional moment to honor the pitcher.
Skaggs' widow Carli Miles says her husband showed no signs of substance abuse, which made his death that more devastating.
Miles and Skaggs' mother Debbie have since created the Tyler Skaggs Foundation, which "was founded in 2020 to empower young people through the gift of sports by supporting athletic programs and other initiatives that provide the tools to build confidence, teamwork and leadership skills."
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