2 arrested in connection with woman's overdose death

WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — Two people have been in arrested in connection with the overdose death of a woman four years ago.

Heather Chandler’s body was found in a bedroom of a Loganville house in June of 2013.

Walton County sheriff’s deputies arrested Christopher Holcomb and Seth Richie and charged them with murder.

Investigators believe Holcomb filled a syringe and injected the 26-year-old woman with heroin. Warrants accuse him of then hiding other needles before authorities arrived.

Chandler was found in Holcomb’s bed in a home off of Piney Grove Road.

Records show Holcomb has been in and out of the Gwinnett County Jail on mainly drug-related charges for several years. Richie is currently in prison on a drug charge.

Although the men now face murder charges, the case’s future is unclear.

“Obviously suspicious circumstances. Whether we will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in court is the million-dollar question,” District Attorney Layla Zion told Channel 2’s Tony Thomas.

Chandler’s parents said the charges are a relief.

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“It was a long time coming,” her mother, Marsha Chandler, said. “It was like a weight was taken off our shoulders that we had been carrying for so long.”

The Gwinnett County couple has been through a lot. One of their daughters died in a drunk driving accident where she was the passenger. Six months later, her twin sister, Heather Chandler, died of an overdose.

“When Jennifer got killed, we knew exactly what happened immediately. But when her twin sister died, we didn’t know until now,” Melvin Chandler said.

The parents said they are unsure of what’s to come in the case.

“If there is a trial, we will be there. If there’s not, it wasn’t meant to be,” Melvin Chandler said. “I’m sure we will find out a whole lot more than we want to find out, but we’ll be there."

The district attorney said she is still waiting to review the entire investigation file before making her decision.

Cox Media Group