Odenton Church Overdose Death End With Drug Plea

ODENTON, MD — An Odenton woman initially charged with murder for selling heroin to a woman who died of an overdose has pleaded guilty to a drug charge. Gennie Rae Peterson, 47, was charged with selling heroin and fentanyl in the death of Dawn Marie Laster of Odenton.

Anne Arundel County prosecutors dropped the murder charges a day later, according to Maryland online court records. The State's Attorney's office told the Baltimore Sun the murder charges were filed in error by the District Court Commissioner's Office.

Peterson pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of distribution of narcotics Thursday as part of a plea agreement. Prosecutors will recommend that she be sentenced to no more than four years in prison.

Authorities allege Peterson sold Dawn Marie Laster a mix of heroin and fentanyl, which led to her fatal overdose on March 6, 2017, at the Odenton Church of God. Laster and a man with her who called for help were homeless and living in a utility room at the church, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors recommended that Peterson be charged with involuntary manslaughter, but a grand jury did not indict her on that crime. Instead she was charged reckless endangerment and six drug charges, but was not viewed by authorities as a major drug dealer, but rather an addict who needs help, the Capital-Gazette reports.

Laster and a man were charged with burglary in 2016 with sawing their way through the back wall of a commercial building in Odenton, tripping a security alarm early one morning. Anne Arundel County Police found a hole in the wall behind two 6-foot water-holding tanks and used a Sheetrock saw to cut a hole in the wall.

Photo of Gennie Rae Peterson, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police