CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A man is facing a murder charge, among other charges, for giving drugs to a person who later died by an overdose, the Catawba County Sheriff's Office said on Tuesday.
Matthew Roop, 33, is charged with second-degree murder, death by distribution, and selling or delivering schedule II controlled substances. The charges are connected to the death of Brian Topping in October 2023.
Topping was found dead in a home south of Hickory on Old Shelby Road, according to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
An autopsy revealed Topping's death was caused by the ingestion of a mixture of drugs, which were not specified by the sheriff's office.
Investigators determined that Roop supplied Topping with the drugs that caused his death.
“Our work to bring these distributors of death to justice is continuing," Donald Brown, Catawba County Sheriff, said in a release. "Through the close partnership with our District Attorney’s Office we are making a difference. Our sentiments are with the Topping family”.
Roop remains in the Catawba County Jail.
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