Friend's Inhalant Death Led to Man's Arrest

A 43-year-old Sarasota man faces criminal charges following the death of one of his friends.

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the man and his friend had been inhaling chemicals from a can of Ultra Duster compressed air on Sept. 24, when the friend, Anthony Lemley became unresponsive.

Edwin Lamar Sommers did call 911 and received instructions on how to give CPR while emergency responders were in route. Sommers, however, is accused of stopping CPR so he could hide cans of the inhalant in his truck, a probable cause affidavit stated.

Detectives say he “made the conscious act of ceasing lifesaving measures for Lemley, to bag up, and hide three cans of Ultra Duster in his pickup truck prior to EMS and law enforcement arriving on the scene.”

Responding deputies, however, found a can of Ultra Duster near Lemley when they arrived and were told by a witness that Sommers had taken a bag to his truck before EMS made it to the Avenue A home.

Detectives also discovered that Sommers purchased and provided the cans of Ultra Duster to Lemley.

Sommers was arrested Thursday on a charge of tampering with evidence and also possession of harmful chemicals with the intent to sell or transfer. He was released from the Sarasota County Jail on $1,620 bond.

Photo Credit: Edwin Sommers/Sarasota County Jail