On March 27, a Monroe County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Louis W. VanDeGejuchte II, 47, with first-degree murder in connection with the Sept. 14, 2024 overdose death of Mariah Helene Goldsberry, 45. VanDeGejuchte is being held without bond at the Monroe County Detention Center.
The indictment alleges that VanDeGejuchte unlawfully distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine and/or cocaine, resulting in Goldsberry’s death. Under Florida Statute 782.04(1)(a)3(g) and (i), a person can be charged with first-degree murder when the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance is proven to be the proximate cause of a fatal overdose.
According to an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, on the night of Sept. 14, deputies and Monroe County Fire Rescue responded to a home on Palm Beach Road in Big Pine Key, where Goldsberry was found unresponsive. She was taken to Fishermen’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators found drug paraphernalia near her body, including a plastic bag with a unique dice pattern.
Forensic analysis of Goldsberry’s cellphone revealed text messages and phone calls between her and VanDeGejuchte, coordinating a drug transaction earlier that evening, investigators said. Witnesses told detectives they drove Goldsberry to the corner of Watson Boulevard and Avenue B — a short walk from VanDeGejuchte’s home — where she went to meet a contact before returning.
On Sept. 18, 2024, detectives from the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, supported by the Major Crimes Unit, executed a search warrant at 30450 Wilhelmina Way. Inside a beige camper used by VanDeGejuchte, they reportedly recovered nearly 20 grams of methamphetamine; unprescribed Adderall, Xanax, oxycodone and morphine; multiple scales, baggies, spoons and a glass jar containing meth residue; and a plastic bag with a dice pattern matching the one found near the victim.
VanDeGejuchte was taken into custody at the scene. In addition to the murder charge, he faces charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and four counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
“This isn’t just about drugs. It’s about accountability for the lives lost to poison,” said State Attorney Dennis Ward in a press release announcing the indictment. “We are going to keep holding those accountable who sell poison in our community. If you deal drugs that kill, you will be prosecuted as a murderer.”
“The text messages, surveillance, witness accounts and forensic evidence clearly connect the defendant to the deadly substances that killed Mariah Goldsberry,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield, who will prosecute the case. “These are not accidental overdoses — they are the predictable result of trafficking lethal drugs. When the law gives us the tools to pursue the highest charges, we will use them. And we will do so in coordination with all of our law enforcement partners.”
This indictment is one of several filed by the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office against individuals alleged to have caused fatal overdoses through illegal drug distribution. A separate first-degree murder indictment was returned on the same day in an unrelated Key Largo case.
