On Thursday, the jury responsible for reviewing the Tyler Skaggs death trial returned a guilty verdict for former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay.
Kay, the team’s former communications director, has been found guilty of distributing opioids within the Angels organization and providing fentanyl-laced pills to Skaggs, which ultimately led to his death.
Angels president John Carpino released a statement in response to this verdict:
“On behalf of the entire Angels Organization, we are saddened by the devastating heartache that surrounds this tragedy, especially for the Skaggs family. Our compassion goes out to all families and individuals that have been impacted.
“The players’ testimony was incredibly difficult for our organization to hear, and it is a reminder that too often drug use and addiction are hidden away. From the moment we learned of Tyler’s death, our focus has been to fully understand the circumstances that led to this tragedy.
“We are thankful that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have taken the important step to update their drug policies for players using opioids so that they can receive help.”
Statement from the Angels: pic.twitter.com/0Bb984ktnv
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) February 17, 2022
Skaggs, a former pitcher for the Angels, passed away in June, 2019 while the team was on a trip to Texas for a series against the Rangers. He was found dead in a hotel room and an autopsy report later revealed that he’d mixed opioids and alcohol before choking on his own vomit.
Pitchers Matt Harvey, Mike Morin and Cam Bedrosian and first baseman C.J. Cron each took the stand to testify about a culture of recreational drug use within the organization three years ago.
Kay’s sentencing is set for June 28. His crimes will see him face a minimum of 20 years in prison.
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