Man may have been saved if friends called 911, family says


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SANPETE COUNTY — The death of a 20-year-old man could result in criminal charges for his friends. Police say Jeremy Palmer overdosed on drugs and his friends dumped his body.

"He loved his friends, he loved his family and he would do anything for anybody," said Jeremy's father Ryan Palmer.

Ryan Palmer said his son struggled with addiction his senior year in high school and began a downward spiral two months ago.

"It went from prescription drugs and alcohol to hard drugs, such as meth, cocaine, heroin," Ryan said.

Jeremy was arrested last month, and his parents hoped that this would be the wake-up call to help him turn his life around.

"I had told Jeremy that we're at that crossroads and we are going to have to prepare ourselves to visit you in prison and or attend your funeral," Ryan said.

Court documents state that on Aug. 26, Jeremy and his friends drove to West Jordan where Jeremy took 300 mg of morphine and inhaled canned air.

While driving home near Thistle, Jeremy became incoherent. His friends stopped next to a stream and poured cold water on him.

They kept driving south, passing a hospital, and eventually arrived at a home in Manti. A friend later told police Jeremy's lips were blue at this point. They put him in the bathtub and filled it with ice, never calling an ambulance.

The friends allegedly dumped Jeremy's body in the driveway of an acquaintance at 6 a.m. the next day. Jeremy's family believes Jeremy would still be alive if his friends had called for emergency assistance.

"When Jeremy was at his worst — and they had three or four hours to help him — they ended up letting him pass away and they dumped him like garbage on the side of the road," Ryan said. "Nobody picked up the phone and dialed 911. That's what makes me sad, because if they had intervened, we would have still had our boy. We would still have an addiction to deal with — we would have all that to deal with — but he would have had a second chance at it."

Jeremy's death is still under investigation. Prosecutors are waiting for the results of the autopsy to determine if criminal charges will be filed against his friends. Brandie McClain, 35, was arrested in connection with the case on suspicion of drug possession, child endangerment and obstructing justice. She is currently out of jail on bond.

Jeremy's family hopes his story will be a lesson to others that addiction can not only destroy your life, but ultimately end it.

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Sam Penrod

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