Texts between Westfield manslaughter defendants and woman who fatally overdosed presented at trial

SPRINGFIELD — Jurors in the manslaughter case arising from a Westfield overdose spent the first part of Thursday hearing what was said in texts between the two defendants and the woman who died.

Daryn M. Sampson, 35, and Gilka Rolon-Arroyo, 24, are on trial for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of 31-year-old Rebekah Swotchak in Westfield on Feb. 10, 2016. The trial is happening before Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr. in Hampden Superior Court.

Sampson and Rolon-Arroyo are also charged with distribution of fentanyl, distribution of heroin, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

The two were arrested Feb. 9, 2016, after Westfield police got a search warrant for their apartment. They were later indicted for manslaughter in connection with Swotchak’s death. Her body was found in her apartment by her father on Feb. 10, 2016.

Westfield couple on trial for manslaughter for supplying drugs in overdose death

Assistant District Attorney Robert A. Schmidt and defense lawyers Andrew Klyman (for Sampson) and Jared Olanoff (for Rolon-Arroyo) went through dozens of texts between Rolon-Arroyo and Sampson, Rolon-Arroyo and Swotchak, and Swotchak and Sampson. The texts were displayed on screens for the jury.

Some referred to the strength of Buggati heroin, used packets of which were found in Swotchak’s apartment when her body was discovered.

In one text on Feb. 4, 2016, Swotchak asked Sampson if she could buy three bags of heroin for $10, a discounted price. He responded that the heroin he had now was stronger, so she probably only needed one. She promised to only take one at a time.

Sampson told her to start with half if she hadn’t done heroin since “the other day.” He wrote, “You scare me.”

Testimony showed Sampson was referring to Feb. 2, 2016. On that day Sampson texted Rolon-Arroyo that he was going downstairs to Swotchak’s apartment. He later texted Rolon-Arroyo that he is “kind of watching Becky (Swotchak) right now,” saying he thought she almost overdosed. He says Swotchak was going to be OK, he just needed to wake her up.

Sampson texted Rolon-Arroyo that he put Swotchak’s head under the faucet in the tub and she was waking up.

Many texts involving Rolon-Arroyo and Sampson referred to drug amounts, prices and types, as well as customers.

State medical examiner Dr. Robert Welton testified Swotchak’s cause of death was acute heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

Olanoff asked Welton about other drugs or metabolized drugs in Swotchak’s system.

Welton said she had metabolized cocaine in her system but no actual cocaine. He said she had other substances in her system such as anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.

He said substances taken in combination can affect how each reacts. His opinion, however, is that the fentanyl and heroin were the cause of death.

Reardon read an instruction to the jury about fentanyl. He said trial court protocol for safety prohibits fentanyl from being brought into any courthouse, so the actual fentanyl is not introduced as evidence. He told the jury photographs of the fentanyl in the case must be accepted as evidence.

The trial court protocol gives the strength of fentanyl as the reason for the prohibition, which can be waived in certain instances.

William Hebard, former supervisor of the UMass Medical School drug abuse laboratory, testified about his testing of various packets of powder associated with the case. Some were heroin and cutting agents. But others he tested — stamped Bugatti — contained heroin, fentanyl and cutting agents, he said.