A grand jury in Texas has been hearing evidence that could lead to criminal charges related to the death of Tyler Skaggs according to the Los Angeles Times.
Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor told the Los Angeles Times the grand jury getting involved is “significant.”
“It means there’s at least some concern about how widespread this incident might be by those who provided drugs, were involved in the activities, knew about them, may have made misrepresentations, whatever the connection might be,” Levenson said.
The Los Angeles Angels pitcher tragically was found deceased in a Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1st 2019 after choking on his own vomit, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The 27-year-old’s autopsy found evidence of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system.
The Skaggs family hired an attorney as the death was being investigated by police and MLB.
“We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol,” the family said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times via Sporting News. “That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much.
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“We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death. We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them. To that end, we have hired attorney Rusty Hardin to assist us.”
Skaggs recorded a 28-38 record during his time with the Angels and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
