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Phone call, Facebook post initiated probe into fatal heroin overdose case

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Rochester Police Detective Christopher Mangum reacts during questioning from defense attorney Thomas Reid on Friday during testimony in Joe Lee's trial in the overdose death of a Rochester man in 2014. (Lebanon Voice photos)

COPYRIGHT2017© DOVER - It was a Facebook post and thread that first alerted a Rochester Police detective to investigate a Rochester woman's possible involvement in the heroin overdose death of a Rochester man in 2014.

Friday marked the fourth day of a jury trial that will decide whether Joe Lee, 58, of Gonic, supplied the drug that led to the death of Jason Danner, who died June 30, 2014, about a week after lapsing into a coma from overdosing on heroin inside his Chestnut Street apartment.

Lee faces life in prison if he is convicted of selling the heroin to Jennifer Harriman, who is serving a 6-12 year prison sentence for supplying it to Danner.

If convicted, it will be a rare instance of a prohibited acts: death resulting charge reaching beyond the immediate source to a second party.

The bulk of the trial day on Friday focused on Rochester Police Detective Robert Mangum detailing his investigation into Harriman's involvement in Danner's death, and ultimately, Joe Lee's alleged involvement and indictment.

Mangum said a few days after the overdose - and before Danner's death - he received a phone call from a woman who pointed out a Facebook post and thread that indicated Harriman and others had connections with Danner the day he overdosed.

Mangum said he immediately interviewed Danner's girlfriend, Melissa Bacon, who was with Danner when he OD'd; and Harriman, who bought the heroin allegedly from Lee at Northgate Apartments in Rochester. Mangum also interviewed the driver of the car who drove the other three.

Defendant Joe Lee, left, looks on as Rochester Police Detective Christopher Mangum, red tie, along with defense lawyers and prosecutors look over evidence boxes during a brief recess during Lee's trial on Friday.

He said all involved were highly emotional after the tragic overdose of Danner, but when he returned to reinterview Harriman after Danner died she had gone to visit family in Massachusetts.

He said in early August he got a tip that Harriman was back in town and reached out to her to see him, which she agreed to on Aug. 8. In that interview he said she told him she had bought the heroin from Lee and described him and the car he drove. She also knew Lee's phone number by heart, immediately recalling it during the interview, Mangum testified.

Later, after she was indicted for supplying the drug that killed Danner, Harriman called him to say that Lee provided the drug to her, Mangum said.

Jason Danner (Courtesy photo)

He said the driver of the car on the day of the overdose - who was given immunity - was interviewed again and also said she had driven them to Northgate Apartments that day.

Under cross-examination from defense lawyer Thomas Reid, Mangum testified that during his first round of interviews neither Bacon nor the driver mentioned Harriman by name.

Reid also questioned why police hadn't more fully investigated a reported buy of heroin by Harriman on Portland Street the day before the overdose.

The trial is expected to wrap up early next week. It's still unclear whether Lee will testify.

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