District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that, following a two day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, Brady PYSADEE, of Rochester, was convicted of crimes related to the death of a Bradford woman due to a fatal overdose in 2021. PYSADEE was charged after City of Bradford Police and City of Bradford Fire and Ambulance were dispatched to a call of a cardiac arrest at an apartment on East Main Street in Bradford on June 17, 2021. 

Upon arrival, Officers observed Mercedes Simonds unresponsive.  Despite resuscitation efforts by the caller, Police and EMS, Mercedes was pronounced deceased upon her arrival at BRMC.  An autopsy and toxicology showed that she died as a result of a drug overdose predominantly caused by fentanyl.  Officers soon learned from witnesses that she had been contacted by PYSADEE and they had made arrangements to meet in the evening of June 16, 2021. 

The defendant arranged to meet SIMONDS in his vehicle on a street in East Bradford.  A third party was in a nearby vehicle and would describe SIMONDS’ changed demeanor after exiting the PYSADEE vehicle.  Shortly thereafter, SIMONDS would state that she “did a line of something brown” with the defendant and she thinks it may have been heroin.  The third party also received some of the same drugs that PYSADEE gave to SIMONDS and reported he, too, became violently ill. Upon returning to the bar/restaurant she had been in earlier that evening, SIMONDS became increasingly ill from the drug – including vomiting and she tried to reach out to PYSADEE, to no avail.  Witnesses tried to get her medical assistance but she said she just needed to go to sleep.  One of the witnesses took her to an apartment nearby and checked on her periodically.  He did not notice any outward signs of a fatal overdose but noticed her breathing changed to snoring and then into gurgling.  Ultimately, she went into cardiac arrest. 

District Attorney Vettenburg-Shaffer:  “The loss of a young woman from a fentanyl overdose never passes.  Her family will mourn her forever.  Today brings us closer to the conclusion of the criminal case, but we are mindful that the family will continue to suffer and our sympathies will remain with them.  I also want to extend my greatest appreciation for Officer Kolin Strawcutter for his tireless investigation in this case that included numerous subpoenas to locate evidence of the delivery that led to Mercedes’ death.  He was able to track her death to the defendant though interviews and subpoenas that ultimately led him to video evidence of critical points throughout the evening of June 16, 2021. 

Sgt. Seth Shephard, Officer Tyler Blair, Officer Matthew Gustin, Chief Michael Ward, Christopher Spaich and Zach Harten assisted in the investigation and trial.  Bartenders at the Keystone and JJ’s provided critical testimony as did the tenant of the apartment in which Mercedes passed and others – all describing the last few hours of her life. Many of these witnesses, previously virtual strangers to the family, stood with them in support throughout the trial.” PYSADEE was charged with Drug Delivery Resulting in Death; Involuntary Manslaughter; Delivering a Controlled Substance (on two occasions on June 16, 2021); Possession of a Controlled Substance; and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.  He was convicted of all counts.  Officer Strawcutter was the lead investigator and filed charges.  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.  PYSADEE was remanded to the McKean County Jail following the verdict. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 17th at 1pm.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://mckean.crimewatchpa.com/da/136029/post/man-convicted-drug-delivery-resulting-death-bradford-woman