Waukesha man charged in 2 heroin deaths

March 13, 2012
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By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

March 13, 2012 0

Waukesha - A 27-year-old Waukesha man has been charged with two counts of homicide in connection with two heroin overdose deaths.

Kevin S. Cobus is accused of supplying heroin to Jamie L. Hansen, 24, of Muskego and Cody C. Riggs, 26, of Delafield.

Hansen was found unresponsive in her bedroom by her father on July 12 and was pronounced dead later that day. The man told authorities he was aware that Hansen was a heroin user, according to the criminal complaint filed against Cobus.

Riggs died on Jan. 6. He was found not breathing in his bed by his brother, who told police Riggs had used heroin often, the complaint states.

Cobus was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide/deliver drugs and bail was set at $100,000.

Cobus appeared in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Tuesday and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 23.

According to the criminal complaint, authorities began investigating Cobus after an inmate at the Waukesha County Jail told them in late August that a friend had told him Cobus had been with Hansen before her death.

That friend and inmate called Cobus as a detective listened on a speaker phone and Cobus admitted he went to Milwaukee to get heroin for Hansen, but that it wasn't the drug that killed Hansen, the complaint says. Cobus told the callers Hansen must have picked up the heroin that killed her from someone else, the complaint states.

But in late January, Cobus admitted during an interview with a detective that he bought $100 of heroin on July 11 for Hansen.

Police also had records from Hansen's cellphone that showed multiple conversations on July 11 with Cobus regarding getting heroin.

Riggs' brother also told investigators that Riggs and he were with Cobus on Jan. 5 and that they had gone to Milwaukee that day to purchase heroin. There were also records from Riggs' cellphone that showed text messages between Riggs and Cobus. Included was a text the brother sent from Riggs' phone to Cobus about Riggs' condition early the morning of Jan. 6. It stated, "is it okay that he's still not responsive???"

Cobus also admitted going to Milwaukee with Riggs, his brother and a third person to get heroin and that he supplied them with needles and a cooker so they could inject the drug, the complaint says.

If convicted, Cobus faces up to 25 years in prison followed by 15 years of extended supervision on each count.

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