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Man charged in drug death says he has saved lives
A 41-year-old Greencastle man, charged with dealing in a controlled substance causing death, says authorities have it all wrong.
Appearing in Putnam Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, Jacob Skinner said he’s closer to being a good Samaritan than an evil violent offender implicated in the May 14 death of Scott Aaron McKnight, 50, Cloverdale, in an incident at the County Road 825 East residence of McKnight and his wife Cheryl.
“I’m not responsible for somebody’s death, I was responsible for somebody’s life,” Skinner told the court as four additional charges in his case were read. “I saved one person but was not able to save another. I thought maybe I was going to lose both of them.”
The person saved was presumably Cheryl McKnight, 40, to whom Narcan was administered after an overdose of methamphetamine, fentanyl and/or acetylfentanyl, the same drugs allegedly provided by Skinner that resulted in the death of her husband.
Skinner claimed he has “saved 14 people” in Putnam County so far as people overdosing have continually shown up at his residence seeking help.
“I’m appalled I’m here right now,“ Skinner added, claiming authorities acted hastily in arresting and charging him after finding him at the scene of the McKnight incident. “I think they (authorities) jumped the gun.”
On Sept. 20, Skinner became the first person in Putnam County ever charged with dealing in methamphetamine causing death, a Level 1 felony punishable by 20-40 years in prison. He was also charged at the time with habitual offender status, an enhancement that could add 6-20 years to his sentence.
Wednesday afternoon he was formally charged with dealing in methamphetamine of 28 grams or more, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and possession of a firearm (a .22-caliber rifle) by a serious violent felon. Utilizing a search warrant, deputies recovered the drugs and weapon from Skinner’s Wildwood Subdivision residence where he was arrested Sept. 19.
“I’m a violent felon?” Skinner asked of no one in particular. “I’ve never been violent.”
Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter suggested his criminal record would indicate otherwise, noting that three prior unrelated felony convictions -- including two in Putnam County and one in Vigo County -- made it possible to file the habitual offender enhancement against Skinner.
The probable cause affidavit filed in the case indicates that on May 14 at 12:32 a.m., Putnam County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the McKnight residence, finding an unconscious male not breathing, along with an unconscious female, Cheryl McKnight.
Sgt. Riley Houghton located the female and administered a dose of Naloxone to her.
About a minute later, the female victim recovered and was transported to Putnam County Hospital. Attempts to revive the male victim, however, were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
The report noted that Skinner was also in the room and told deputies he had administered Naloxone to Scott McKnight about 45 minutes earlier.
Sgt. Houghton’s report noted that “due to Mrs. McKnight’s confused state, she was unable to provide me with information as to what happened or what (she and her husband) had ingested.” At the hospital later, she described Skinner reportedly putting out three lines of a substance she believed to be heroin. She said she and her husband snorted the drug off the dining room table.
Downloading information from the cellphones of Skinner and others, authorities were able to string together the involvement of multiple people in drug activity, according to conversations that began May 11, leading up to the fatal May 14 incident.
Judge Bridges entered additional not-guilty pleas for Skinner Wednesday. He previously appointed Christopher Parker as his public defender, although Skinner appeared alone in court Wednesday.
No new bond was set and Skinner was remanded to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on $75,000 cash-only bond.