GREENWOOD, Ind. (May 26, 2014)—The mother of a Greenwood teen who overdosed on a new synthetic drug opened up to FOX59 News.
Jeanine Motsay sat in the dining room of her Greenwood home surrounded by photographs of her son, Sam. There was an autographed basketball signed by the Center Grove High
School junior varsity team, a framed, red basketball jersey with the number 24, pictures of Sam and his younger brother and a deep regret over all that was lost when the 16-year-old was found dead on Mother’s Day of a drug overdose.
“I’m not in a position that I can do anything,” said Jeanine, “but manage my thoughts on a day-to-day basis and just breathe.”
Outside the Motsay home is a yard sign proudly proclaiming Sam’s allegiance to CGHS basketball just down the street from the friend’s house, where the teen died after taking two doses of the hallucinogen NBOME.
“What this is is a synthetic drug that is ever-changing and a real Russian roulette,” said Jeanine, who in two short weeks has learned all she can about the new and lethal narcotic. “Three kids took this and one of them didn’t wake up.”
Jeanine said her son, who carried a 4.0 GPA and was looking forward to a summer of basketball camp, weightlifting and a job, played basketball in Carmel on the last Friday and Saturday nights of his life. The mother and son returned home just before midnight. Within 12 hours, Sam was found dead.
“I think a lot of this is unknown,” said Jeanine. “I think a lot of people now know about this and there’s conversations happening and other framing going on that will save lives and that’s the kind of conversation that I want to happen and that is life giving from Sam’s death.”
Zachary Catron, Kyle Hazzard and Jordan Adamowitz were jailed following Motsay’s death. Hazzard and Adamowitz led police to Catron, who admitted making the batch of NBOME that took Motsay’s life.
“I think there should be severe penalties for this,” said Jeanine. “I think there has to be a stiff penalty because ultimately what they sold killed my son.”
Catron has a hearing in Marion Superior Court Tuesday morning to reconsider his $200,000 bond on nine weapons and drug charges. He has a hearing in Johnson County Wednesday on a previous drug arrest.