DA: Blood test results don’t offer reason for NE Bend killing

(Update: Adding comments from district attorney)

Long-awaited toxicology reports fail to show any illegal substances in the blood of a northeast Bend man who shot and killed a neighbor last October before being killed by the neighbor’s roommate, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel announced Wednesday.

The district attorney said that leaves authorities without a clear reason for the apparent ” psychotic episode ” involving Tyler Herrick, 31, who lived next door to the Northeast Sierra Drive home shared by roommates Kyle Adams and Brennan Pebbles.

” Was Herrick experiencing delusions prior to his episode? ” Hummel said. ” We saw no signs of that. No history of mental health illness. ”

Hummel stated in a news release that ” water beads ” from China were found in Herrick’s home during the investigation. The polymer beads may sometimes be used as a smoke diffuser in bongs. They can metabolize into a chemical called GHB and turn toxic when ingested.

” They were not in GHB form when we discovered them, but we tested his body fluids at the Oregon State Police crime lab, ” he said. ” That returned positive for marijuana and an over-the-counter antihistamine, negative for everything else. ”

However, Hummel said a separate test to determine whether the GHB was in Herrick’s system would have been too costly.

On Oct. 20, Herrick went to their home and entered the bedroom where Adams was sleeping, police and Hummel said. Adams demanded Herrick leave the house, and he did.

Adams then texted Pebbles, who was away from their home, about what happened. Pebbles returned home, and the two men were in their living room, talking about what happened, when Herrick showed up in their front yard with an AR-15 rifle, firing several shots through the front window, striking and fatally wounding Adams.

Hummel said later that Pebbles fled and ran upstairs, grabbed his 9 mm handgun and hid in the master bedroom’s bathroom. Hummel said Herrick fired several shots at the front door, went in and ” methodically hunted Pebbles down. ”

Pebbles shot and killed Herrick when he entered the master bedroom. Hummel filed no criminal charges against Pebbles, saying all evidence pointed to self-defense.

Because no criminal case arose from the killings, it became a lower priority for the Oregon State Police Crime Lab to conduct toxicology tests on Herrick’s blood.

Adams’ mother filed a more than $3 million wrongful death lawsuit against Herrick’s estate last November, claiming he had consumed ” intoxicants and/or controlled substances ” before the shooting.

Here’s Hummel’s news release on the findings:

” Why did 31-year-old Bend resident Tyler Herrick shoot and kill 33-year-old Bend resident Kyle Adams during the early morning hours of October 20th in the sleepy Northeast Bend neighborhood of McCall Landing?

” Most likely, Herrick acted based on mistaken beliefs he had about Adams and his roommate that were the result of a psychotic episode he was experiencing.

” Moments after Herrick shot Adams, he was speaking in a rambling and incoherent manner consistent with someone in the midst of a psychotic episode.

” But what caused the onset of the psychosis Herrick was apparently experiencing? We don’t know.

” After 10 months of investigation by the Bend Police Department, Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s office, we were unable to determine what, if anything, contributed to Herrick’s mental health event.

” Toxicology results performed on Herrick revealed the presence in his blood of marijuana and a typical over-the-counter antihistamine. No alcohol or other drugs were detected.

” Found in his house were numerous firearms and ammunition, firearm targets, severance paperwork from his employer, and marijuana and marijuana smoking equipment (a bong). No illegal drugs were located in the home.

” Also found were a number of colored beads, some with Chinese lettering on them, and packaging labels that indicated they had been sent from China. These beads were tested and the results indicate they were consistent with a super absorbent polymer product such as “water beads.”

” “Water beads” are marketed as a sensory toy for children, for use in floral arrangements, and as a smoke diffuser in bongs. These beads fuse together when sprayed with water.

“Scientific studies have found that the coating on the beads that causes them to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when ingested. The human body can metabolize this chemical into the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate , or GHB .

“If ingested, GHB can cause unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, respiratory distress, coma, and even carries the potential of death. We do not know if Herrick ingested these water beads prior to shooting Adams.”

Hummel told NewsChannel 21 it’s possible for a blood toxicology test to detect GHB , but not the one conducted by OSP.

“Determining with certainty whether the GHB was in his system would have been cost- and time-prohibitive,” he said.

Hummel concluded his announcement with this statement:

“This is the day I announce the conclusion of the criminal investigation into this senseless crime, but more importantly, it’s the 321st day we mourn the passing of Kyle Adams. Kyle was loved and is missed by his friends, family, and co-workers. We don’t know what caused Tyler Herrick’s psychotic episode, but we do know that Kyle did nothing to cause Herrick’s distress. Our thoughts continue to be with Kyle’s family during this difficult time.”