A Lakemoor man gave a fentanyl-laced Xanax bar to a woman and then, after finding her dead hours later, left without calling for help, authorities alleged.
The defendant, Marcus Lejsner, 23, is charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, McHenry County Judge Carl Metz said during Lejsner’s initial court appearance Thursday before ordering him to be held in the county jail pretrial.
Assistant State’s Attorney Julio Cantre said the Spring Grove-area woman was found “unresponsive” in her bed by a family member about 11 a.m. Feb. 9. She died from a fatal overdose of Xanax and fentanyl, he said.
Another friend who was with Lejsner and the woman the night before told detectives that Lejsner had pills and marijuana in a hotel where they were all hanging out, the prosecutor said. The friend said that, in the morning, he texted Lejsner to say that he had a good time that night, to which Lejsner responded “something really tragic happened,” Cantre said.
The friend said Lejsner told him that when he woke up next to the woman that morning, he knew she was dead, but Cantre said Lejsner gave a different story to police, saying she was alive but sleeping.
Lejsner also allegedly told the friend that he had to clean out his storage locker and get rid of his pill presses and “made it very clear” the woman died from the pills Lejsner made and gave to her, Cantre said. He went on to say that during the investigation, a detective showed the man a picture of pressed pills and asked if those were the pills Lejsner had with him the night before, and he said yes. The man also said that Lejsner had told him that he made Adderall and Xanax bars and bought “everything” he used off the dark web, Cantre said.
Additionally, Cantre said, when questioned by police about the night before the woman died, Lejsner lied or was evasive about places they went and whether the woman was known to do drugs or had taken any drugs that night.
However, Lejsner’s attorney, Vincent Geisler, sought to cast doubt on what the friend, the state’s “key witness,” told police, saying he was given immunity in exchange for his testimony.
“The case seems to rest on one individual who has a lot to gain and nothing to lose,” Geisler said.
Cantre had said that cameras at the hotel captured Lejsner walking into the room with a box and then leaving without the box, seemingly alleging that drugs were in the box, but Geisler countered that nothing was said about the friend “carrying two large duffle bags.”
Another friend allegedly said the woman was known to use Xanax and to get them from Lejsner; her cellphone also held text messages between her and Lejsner discussing the purchase of Xanax, Cantre said.
Geisler also addressed another McHenry County case that Lejsner was charged with June 4. During a traffic stop, police searched Lejsner’s car and allegedly found psilocybin, less than 15 grams of cocaine, a glass pipe and 19 grams of THC cartridges. Geisler said the amount of psilocybin found was for Lejsner’s personal use and not for selling. He said Lejsner has “used drugs for most of his life” and had just completed a 30-day rehabilitation program. He has been “clean and sober for the first time in a very long time,” and he has always shown up for court, Geisler said in arguing that he could be released pretrial with conditions, including GPS and house arrest.
“His mental health is a concern, and being in jail is not good for him,” Geisler said.
The prosecutor said Lejsner attended the woman’s funeral service and, not too long after, started selling drugs again, and the fact that he went to rehab should have no weight in the judge’s decision. Cantre also said the attorney failed to mention that during the search of Lejsner’s vehicle, police found a pink book with names, dollar amounts and drug references. A powder residue also was found on the book that tested positive for cocaine, Cantre said.
Lejsner showed “supreme levels of callousness and selfishness when he left her knowing she was dead, then went back to dealing drugs after her wake,” Cantre said. “He is a threat to the community.”
Lejsner, who could be sentenced to 30 years in prison if convicted of drug-induced homicide, is due in court Nov. 15.