Man sentenced in friend's heroin overdose death

A man faces at least 20 years in prison after his friend overdosed on heroin he scored a day after she left rehab.

Charles Cassell III, 55, was sentenced May 1 for his conviction in the death of Angelique Smith. York County Court of Common Pleas Judge ordered him to serve 23½ to 47 years in state prison.

The term came after a jury in March convicted him of third-degree murder, drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication device, tampering with evidence and reckless endangerment.

York City Police said he and Smith did two bags of potent heroin he had purchased as they drove around in his car on Oct. 23, 2020.

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The trip came one day after Smith left a rehab center in Lancaster. She overdosed during the ride.

Police said Cassell performed CPR in a parking lot at one point. He then put her back in his car and drove around some more before noticing she had died.

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He tossed evidence, police said, and waited almost two more hours before he called 911.

When police responded, they found Smith’s body still in Cassell’s car while it was parked behind the Royal Farms gas station along Loucks Road.

An autopsy found she died from acute fentanyl toxicity, police said.

— Aimee Ambrose can be reached at aambrose@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @aimee_TYD.