Apr. 22—An Austin man has been charged with murder and manslaughter in relation to the overdose death of a woman in October of last year.
Jacob Allen Brandt, 31, was charged Tuesday in Mower County District Court with third degree murder and second degree manslaughter-culpable negligence and remains in custody at the Mower County Jail with bail/bond set at $200,000 with no conditions and $100,000 with conditions.
According to the court complaint, Brandt allegedly told Austin Police Department detectives that he gave the victim fentanyl on Oct. 24, 2024, the only time he claimed to ever do so. The victim was found on Oct. 25, 2024 after police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Ninth Avenue NW for an overdose.
When the victim was found it had been apparent that she had been dead for quite some time and that drug paraphernalia had been found on the bed next to her with a piece of foil on the night stand next to the bed.
According to the autopsy conducted later, toxicology revealed a mix of fentanyl, the muscle relaxer orphenadrine and an anticonvulsant and nerve pain medication topitamate. The death was ruled accidental, caused by the mixed toxicity.
The victim was found by a roommate, who attempted to wake her after finding the victim cold and unresponsive. She told police that the victim had gone to physical therapy on Oct. 24 and had come home and appeared to be acting normal. Ring video showed the victim leaving at around 1:27 p.m. on Oct. 24 and returning just a couple minutes to 2 p.m.
On the day the victim’s body was discovered, detectives called Brandt after noting that he had tried calling the victim while the phone was in police possession. Brandt then allegedly told police that the victim had been getting her drugs from a man named Jason and that the victim was uncomfortable with him, which was the reason Brandt had been trying to call her.
Brandt stated that the last time he had seen the victim was at around 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 24.
However, data extracted from the victim’s phone showed conversations with Brandt went back to June 2024 and that some of those conversations involved getting drugs. On Oct. 24, Cash App allegedly showed that the victim paid Brandt $30 and that there were three calls all at around the same time starting from 1:14 p.m. through 1:35 p.m. Google location showed the victim walking away from the house on Oct. 24 at around 1:30 p.m.
Then, on April 17 of this year, Brandt was interviewed at the Mower County Jail where he initially denied providing drugs to the victim and that three days prior to her death he and the victim went to a house near the Post Office because he was getting sick.
Brandt claimed that they got drugs at the house but denied selling her any, however, Brandt allegedly admitted later that he did give the victim a little fentanyl on Oct. 24. In the court complaint, Brandt allegedly said he went into the house to grab the drugs and that he paid for them because the victim didn’t have any cash, but later she reimbursed him through Cash App.
The defendant allegedly stated: “… that’s the only time I sold to her was that day.”
Brandt is next scheduled for an initial appearance on May 1.