Zakkary Ryan Pifer

WINONA LAKE — A 25-year-old Winona Lake man has been initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Sept. 29, 2015, death of Tyler S. Boocher, 20, Leesburg.

Zakkary Ryan Pifer, 25, 701 Robson Road, Winona Lake, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail Thursday morning, on a charge of dealing a narcotic over 10 grams. Court documents show the charge is a level 2 felony. Documents also show additional charges: possession of a narcotic drug, a level 4 felony, and involuntary manslaughter, a level 5 felony.

Court documents filed on Feb. 12, state on Sept. 26, 2015, Winona Lake Police Officer Mike Foster responded to a call of an unresponsive male on the back deck of a Robson Road residence. When he arrived he found a male individual, later identified as Tyler Boocher, lying on his back with no pulse and unresponsive. Officers and medics performed CPR and obtained a pulse.

Boocher was transported to Lutheran Hospital and given Narcan, used to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. On Sept. 29, Boocher died from morphine toxicity — a heroin overdose. Boocher had tested positive for opiates.

On Nov. 13,  police spoke with an individual who, on Sept. 26, received a call from Pifer. Pifer told the individual he, Pifer, was not going to be around for a while as his best friend had just died in his arms. The individual stated in late October, Pifer came to his home and stated he had given Boocher a shot of heroin and shortly thereafter Boocher began having trouble breathing which continued for 30 minutes. Pifer stated he held Boocher on his shoulder until he quit breathing and then sat him in a chair in the living room until his grandmother arrived. The two then moved him to the back porch. Pifer told the individual he then left as he was afraid of getting in trouble.

Police spoke to the grandmother. Initially told police she came home and when taking the trash out, discovered an individual lying on her deck. She then called 911. She said she contacted her grandson, as she thought she recognized the individual. He told her the individual sounded like Boocher.

She later admitted she had been trying to protect her grandson with the initial story. She stated she received a call from Pifer, telling her to come home because Boocher fell into his arms and he could not get him awake. She arrived home approximately 20 minutes later and observed Boocher having trouble breathing, all she did was pat his hand while he tried to breath. She said her grandson then placed Boocher on the back porch, called 911 and Pifer left the scene. She admitted knowing Boocher needed medical attention.

Giving police consent to search her residence, officers found, in a bedroom occupied by Pifer, hundreds of new and used syringes, a plastic pipe with a burnt residue, water bottle marijuana pipe, grinder, two drinking straws with white residue, a bag containing a white powdery substance, digital scales, medical tourniquet, foil boat with residue, metal tube with burnt residue and a burnt metal spoon with white residue. The white powdery substance was field tested. It tested positive for heroin and weighed 13.9 grams.

During the investigation, Foster found, from the time Pifer injected Boocher with heroin, called his grandmother, sat with Boocher after she arrived and then placed him on the porch, 30-40 minutes minimum elapsed without calling for medical attention.

Pifer is being held on $25,000 surety and $250 cash bond.