FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A fourth defendant was convicted Wednesday in a fatal fentanyl overdose in which the victim was found dead, lying on a Ripon sidewalk.
Donavyn Mueller, 19, pleaded guilty to first degree reckless homicide in the April 2023 death. His bond was revoked and sentencing was set for Feb. 7, 2025.
According to the criminal complaint, Mueller “did cause the death of VICTIM 1, by the delivery or manufacture of a Schedule I or II controlled substance, fentanyl… which VICTIM 1 used, dying as a result of that use.”
Officials say the 18-year-old victim and other teens went to a home on Scott Street in Ripon and used narcotics. While there, the victim began to experience overdose symptoms and became unresponsive. The people in the home took him outside, placed him on the sidewalk and ran away.
His body was found the next morning. The medical examiner listed bromazolam and fentanyl toxicity as the cause of death, according to the complaint.
Mueller sends [name] an audio message where he is informing [name] of what the pills he would be selling him really are, and what their potency is. Mueller tells [name] the product is definitely good, that it’s good money, but it’s not good for your clientele. Mueller tells [name] that there is fentanyl in the pills, and that if someone takes a full pill or a small person takes more than half of one, it would really mess them up. This message clearly shows that Mueller was knowingly distributing fentanyl laced counterfeit pills with the appearance of being Percocet 30 milligram pills.
The victim’s name has not been released.
Along with Mueller, three other men have been convicted in the overdose death. Their sentencing dates are as follows:
- Maison Springston – Dec. 2
- Joseph Schmidt-Rehbein – Dec. 20
- Michael Manske – Jan. 21, 2025
The final defendant in this case, Olivia Nordvold, has a plea hearing scheduled for Nov. 11.
