NEW HAMPSHIRE’S FASTEST GROWING ONLINE NEWSPAPER

Milton man's fate now in hands of jury after closing arguments

Comment Print
Related Articles
Gregory Collins of Milton looks toward the witness box as Peter Miltner, upper right, testifies about how he delivered drugs to Robert Rawson, below, right. (Rochester Voice photos; Rawson photo/Courtesy)

DOVER -The fate of a man accused in the fentanyl overdose death of Robert Rawson of Rochester lies with the jury today after closing arguments were heard this morning at Strafford County Superior Court.
Defense counsel Attorney David Tencza told jurors during his 30-minute closing statement that physical evidence presented by prosecutors during the trial was inconsistent and defied belief.
He said the "brown powdery" fentanyl allegedly brought on Feb. 14, 2018, to Rawson's room at the Greenwood Inn by drug middleman Peter Miltner and allegedly supplied by Gregory Collins could not have transformed itself to residue that was found in a bottle cap when police arrived to find Rawson dead the next day.
Collins, 38, of Lord Lane, Milton, faces up to life in prison on a charge of supplying drugs, death resulting and could join Miltner in a New Hampshire state prison if found guilty.
Tencza also questioned why no baggie likely used to transport the drugs brought by Miltner and Collins was in the room, saying it opened the door to the possibility that Rawson had left the room, disposed of the baggie and acquired more fentanyl that had led to his death.
Tencza said there were multiple contacts Rawson had made that day that could've ended up supplying the drugs that killed him, but that investigators and prosecutors fixated on his client and missed going after other potential suspects.
Finally, he said Miltner, who is also serving four to eight years in prison for giving Rawson the fentanyl, lied initially to police and likely continued lying to investigators as he tried to protect others he knew in the drug trade.
"He's not worthy of your trust," Tencza told the jury.
Assistant County Attorney Katelyn Henmueller, meanwhile, said Facebook messages put both Miltner and Collins at the Greenwood Inn together as they brought Rawson the 4/10 of a gram of fentnayl.
Henmueller further stated that Rawson had just gotten out of rehab and was relapsing, which made him more suscesptible to overdose.
And Henmueller scoffed at the notion that Rawson could go out and attempt to score more drugs.
"He had no car, no money and no one ever heard from him by phone or text messages after 2 p.m. ... because he was dead," she told the jury.

Read more from:
Top Stories
Tags:
None
Share:
Comment Print
Powered by Bondware
News Publishing Software

The browser you are using is outdated!

You may not be getting all you can out of your browsing experience
and may be open to security risks!

Consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or choose on below: