Spokane man charged in mother’s heroin overdose death
SPOKANE, Wash. — A man who Spokane Police say killed his mother by injecting her with a lethal dose of heroin has been charged with homicide.
Sharon Simpson-White, 64, was found dead inside her downtown Spokane apartment last June.
READ: Police believe Spokane man caused mother’s overdose, death
Her son, Robert Taitch, has been under investigation ever since.
Taitch was arrested on Wednesday for a separate crime and is still in jail.
Paramedics responded to the overdose call and arrived to find Simpson-White unconscious on the floor. They tried CPR, but court documents show Taitch yelled at them, saying to leave his mother alone and that it was what she wanted.
He was so mad, he tore through a window screen and ran from the apartment before police showed up.
Once inside, officers described finding the words “die” and “kill” carved into a wall with a large butcher knife.
Simpson-White was pronounced dead at the scene. Her boyfriend told police her son injected her with heroin. Family members also told officers Taitch called them the night before, saying “Mom’s dead” and “Looks like Mom just took her last breath.”
They also told police that Simpson-White was living in a lot of pain and claimed she wanted to die.
According to court documents, this is not the first time Simpson-White has used heroin, but it was not a common thing for her to do. Her boyfriend said the suspect had given her the drug at her request and believed he was responsible for the overdose.
Taitch has been under investigation for the last six months. Detectives with the Spokane Police Department charged him with homicide on Friday.
Family members told police that Taitch suffers from mental health problems and addiction.
He was arrested on Wednesday for domestic violence assault and violating a no contact order, and is still in jail.
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