A 24-year-old Paw Paw woman is the person whose death was discovered Wednesday, and police believe today she died from an overdose.
Police arrested two people they believe moved the woman’s body outside after she died. The two are charged with illegal carrying away of a human body, and are set for arraignment on Friday.
Police said the woman was with several other people at an apartment on the northeast side of the city when police believe she overdosed. When the others realized she had died, they panicked, and moved the woman’s body outside, at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
A person passing by the area of Van Buren and Poplar streets around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday saw the woman’s body in some brush, at the edge of a wooded area north of the Battle Creek River.
Police began the investigation on Wednesday as a murder. Preliminary findings indicate that the woman died of an overdose. Police are waiting on forensic evidence analysis to confirm that finding.
Police have notified some of the woman’s family members, but will identify her at a later date, to give them more time.
Please know that if you are with someone who you believe might be overdosing, you can call 911 for help and you may not face charges. Michigan passed a Good Samaritan law in 2016. It prevents drug possession charges against people who seek medical help for an overdose in certain circumstances. The law makes saving lives the priority during a drug overdose, not criminal prosecutions of illegal drug users.
For more information about how to use Narcan in case you are in the presence of someone experiencing an overdose, contact the Calhoun County Public Health Department. CCPHD Staff can offer training to make sure neighbors know how to store it and use it correctly. Call them at 269-969-6370
The Substance Abuse Council also has a Narcan training video and other educational resources available at https://www.drugfreebc.org/narcan/.
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May 17, 2023 news --
Police are investigating a death discovered today as a murder, until it is ruled otherwise through investigation.
A deceased person was found today at around 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of Van Buren and Poplar streets. This is on the east side of the city, north of the Battle Creek River.
Please follow police guidance if you are in this area, so they can continue the investigation.