Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Induced Homicide Of Pregnant Woman

BRAIDWOOD, IL — A 27-year-old Gardner man pleaded guilty to one charge of drug-induced homicide after prosecutors accused him of selling fentanyl and heroin to a pregnant woman. Prosecutors said the drugs ultimately led to the deaths of her and her unborn child.

Colin West was sentenced to eight years in prison for the Nov. 2 incident, according to the attorney general's office.

Samantha Kile, 22, was found underwater in her bathtub in November 2018. Her mother told authorities she had what appeared to be heroin near her when she found her. The Will County Coroner's office later determined Kile, who was pregnant with a baby boy, drowned as a result of heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

A series of online messages between West and Kile, in which the young woman arranged to meet West to purchase opioids, led to his arrest in 2019, police said. According to Braidwood police, the man told authorities he sold Kile heroin on the last night he saw her.

"Too many Illinois lives have been lost to opioid addiction, and the defendant's actions resulted not just in Samantha Kile's death but also that of her unborn son," Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a press release. "This case illustrates the importance of collaborations between state and local law enforcement agencies, which are critical in holding accountable individuals who sell dangerous, highly-addictive opioids."

In addition to drug induced homicide, West also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

"These cases can be very challenging," said Braidwood Police Chief Todd Lyons.